Changing Prejudices
by IHateCleanBreaks
Summary: Bella is the night manager at a luxurious, but small hotel. She is not easily impressed by celebrities. Edward is a hotshot movie star who has forgotten that the world does not revolve around him. He books a room in her hotel. AH. COMPLETE
1. Chapter 1

**A/N: This first chapter is short so that I can see if there is any interest in continuing. This is my first fanfiction, and I actually starting writing it before I learned of this website. I had to change a lot of things to make it fit here, so please forgive me and let me know if you find any mistakes. Thanks for any and all reviews and suggestions.**

Chapter 1:

BPOV

I guess I was sort of prejudiced against famous people. Really, it was famous anything, not just people. Anytime something became a big deal to most of the country, I shut down and lost interest. There were few situations I was able to hold on and persevere. I hated for people to think I was just following the crowd. I wanted to prove I was different and I hated it if my interests converged with the interests of the majority of people.

One of the few exceptions was a book and its three sequels. Two of my former co-workers had turned me on to the series. I figured it wasn't well known because I was really into books and I had never heard of them before. In the first 2 ½ weeks I had the three books, I read them three times. I was hooked before I even knew how popular they were. I read them a few more times waiting for the release of the fourth book. And then a few more times before the release of the first movie. I was in too deep before I realized just how popular the books were and how far the obsession went. So I went with it anyway. And I was glad I did.

I worked as the night manager at a small but luxurious hotel near Port Angeles, WA. I had been working there for ten years and had finally worked my way up to manager. I chose the night position because not only did it come with a raise, but it also gave me a few hours of uninterrupted time in which to study. The night shift was from 8pm to 6am. It was hectic for the first few hours and for the last hour. I usually had about seven hours in which to work on the homework for my Master's Degree.

We were a popular hotel during the big fishing tournaments. The Red Lion Hotel was more expensive and usually filled up years ahead of time. We were usually booked about six months before the tournament. We were close enough for guests to feel okay with driving yet far enough away from all the traffic and crowds. The biggest tournament usually drew fishermen for a total of two weeks.

It was in the middle of the season, during the first week of the tournament time. It was a comparatively slow night, since it was Tuesday and most of our guests had checked in Sunday. It was late, almost 11pm, and most of the guests were already asleep. Ericka, the desk clerk, had let me know that the last guest, a Mr. Richard Masen, would be checking in later than expected. At 11pm, a group of five men and one woman walked in, and the woman approached my desk ahead of them.

I could tell that these people were the type we usually got in the Meadow Hotel and Suites. High fashion clothes, expensive luggage, and an air of money and importance. I hated when these people checked in on my shift. They paid my check, yes, but they were so pompous and arrogant. And they looked down on me like I was dirt or something. The woman looked a few years older than my 26 years. Her dark brown hair was pulled up into a French twist.

"Excuse me, Miss. We need to check in."

"Sure, may I have your names?" I got a good look at the man who stepped up with her. He seemed to be the center of the group, and when I recognized him, I knew I was right.

"The reservation should be for three rooms in the name of Richard Masen," she said, inclining her head towards the man next to her. "We will be staying for at least three weeks, maybe more." I knew that was not his name. I was freaking out inside, but kept a professional attitude outside. This was not Richard Masen, who he obviously claimed to be, this was Edward Cullen. _Edward Cullen._ One of the hottest new actors on screen today. What was he doing in _Forks_?

"Okay, I need one person from each room to fill out one of these cards, please." I held the cards in between the two of them, not knowing which one would take them. The woman was obviously a secretary or assistant and the four other males were assistants and body guards of sorts. My voice was calm and steady. Good, no trace of the butterflies in my stomach. "Richard" filled out one of the cards, and when he handed it back his handwriting reminded me of the description of the vampire's from the books.

"Okay, here are your room keys. 519, 521, and 530. Room 530 is the larger suite." Our room keys were real keys instead of the computer cards other hotels went for. "Welcome to the Meadow Hotel and Suites, enjoy your stay." I rang the bell and the bellhop Tommy came from behind me with the trolley. The woman, "Richard", and one of the men headed towards the elevator. The other three men put the luggage they had on the trolley, and they went out to the car to get the rest. They ended up needing three trolleys total. Every room in the hotel was now booked. I typed in the command to turn on the No Vacancy sign outside. There had been a chance that he wouldn't show up, so the manager had lit the Vacancy sign.

I tried not to be too interested in the luggage they brought in. I was thankfully distracted from staring by a phone call from one of the rooms.

"Meadow front desk, how may I help you?"

"Yes, Isabella, this is Richard Masen, we just checked in?" I barely registered that he'd noticed my name in the flutter over his English accent. And wishing once again that my manager had listened when I'd asked him to put Bella on my nametag. I blushed, glad that he was not in front of me and that Tommy had gone up the elevators with the guards. "There seems to be a problem with our rooms."

"I'm sorry, sir, what can I help with?"

"Well, none of our rooms has a Jacuzzi and I was really looking forward to a relaxing bath after my long day of travel." I blushed again at that thought, but kept my voice steady and professional. I was such an idiot.

"I'm sorry sir, but those are our most requested rooms and we have so few that you have to ask for one."

"I did ask for one, but there's no harm done. We have not unpacked yet, we can just move rooms."

"I'm sorry Mr. Masen, but we have no other empty rooms. We're booked solid."

"But surely there has to be a room somewhere in here where the guests have not yet checked in. Move us to one of those rooms with a Jacuzzi and give our rooms to them."

"I'm terribly sorry, but these are the busiest two weeks of the season for us and all of our guests are checked in. You took the last three empty rooms."

"But we asked for a Jacuzzi and we did not get one. Could you not call one of the others and see if they would switch with me? Even if I have to be on another floor, I'd be okay." His voice was tinted with a bit of sarcasm and rudeness.

"Mr. Masen, you did not ask for a Jacuzzi."

"Yes I did, besides if it isn't in the computer, how would you know?"

"No sir, a Jacuzzi was not requested. I am now looking at your account and I know that no Jacuzzi was requested." I struggled to keep my voice polite.

"Are you saying I am a liar? That is not customer service, Miss. I say I did ask for one, and how would you know I did not?"

"Mr. Masen, I know because when , um, a Miss Jessica Stanley," I read off the computer, "called to reserve the room, I was the one who answered the phone and set up the reservation. There was no mention at all about a Jacuzzi." He was silent as he processed the information.

"Oh," was all he said before hanging up on me. I was instantly over the butterflies. He'd reminded me that I didn't like things or people that were too famous. Celebrities never seemed like real people to me. They were always fake and snobs to me. I wasn't one of the beautiful people, so of course they seemed that way.

I was very plain in comparison. About 5'5", brown hair, boring brown eyes, and very pale skin. Not one of the beautiful people. Now, for those of you reading this who may be saying 'Outside isn't everything. The personality is better', I will say that I didn't think I was a dog or anything. I didn't have bad skin, and my hair was beautiful when it behaved. Twenty-six years of experience had taught me, however, that I wasn't beautiful on the outside.

Edward Cullen, aka "Richard Masen", was beautiful. He'd been in several extremely successful movies in the past few years. Most of his movies were based off books. I hadn't been very impressed with his character in his first movie. Whether that was Edward's fault or not, I didn't know. I vaguely remembered not liking the character in the books, in spite of him supposedly being very nice and handsome. Then, Edward's next movie floored me. He'd played my favorite character from my favorite book and he actually matched my mental image of him fairly well. Beautiful, with a very nice British accent. And only three years younger than me.

I would add that last part to myself sometimes, imagining that I'd like to get to know the person behind the celebrity. But now I knew he was just like every other stereotypical movie star. Rude and demanding, expecting everything to be rearranged to fulfill his every whim. I was so furious with him that I had to calm down before I could go back to reading my book. My fun book at that time was the book whose movie version had changed my opinion of Edward. That connection was probably another reason I couldn't just go back to reading. He had been too convincing in the movie. He was the male lead to me now. Crap.

After I calmed down, the night passed fairly quickly. I did not get too upset after that, even though our newest guests kept the night shift hoping with the requests we could fulfill. Mr. "Masen" did not call again, but his secretary did. They finally turned off their lights in all three rooms at 3:15am.


	2. Chapter 2

**A/N: I know, I know, you want to get to the good stuff with Bella and Edward. Sorry, but I needed to set things up a bit. I am going to try to get them together more next chapter. **

**I do need to know something, though. I don't know how long I should make these chapters. I personally hate to have to wait on new chapters for stories I'm reading, but sometimes don't have enough time to finish reading the long ones all in one sitting. **

**You probably get asked this a lot, but do you want longer chapters or shorter ones? Either way won't affect update times right now, because I have a lot of the story already written. **

**Disclaimer: Meyer owns them, I do not. The characters, that is. At least most of them.**

Chapter 2

BPOV

I sighed in relief as the day manager came through the door at 6am. I'd never been so happy to see him before. I gave him the information about Mr. Masen and company and warned him of the difficult time they'd given us. I headed to the hotel gym and spa to work out. That day I had a lot of stress to get out so I could have relaxed enough to sleep. It was a fairly new routine, chosen to relieve the stresses of a manager dealing with demanding guests. "Richard" wasn't the first guest to make such demands, and I spent the better part of an hour trying to figure out why he bothered me so much. I finally guessed that it was because he was linked in my head with my favorite character and he'd shown himself as obviously not as unselfish as said fictional character.

After my work out, I was very physically exhausted. I went home, showered, and went to bed. I got home at 9, later than usual because I'd had so much to work out. During the week I didn't do much other than work and school. I usually got home at 8am and slept until 5 or 5:30. I fixed some dinner, spent some time with my roommate Alice, and got to work at 8pm. There wasn't a lot of time during the week to spend with my friends. Alice and I worked out together and she usually got home about the time I woke up. I hung out on Friday and Saturday nights when I was off. My life was full. I loved it. Not a lot of time to sit and think.

"Isabella. Isabella. Wake up sleepy head." I thought I heard Alice's voice but it wasn't enough to pull me awake. "C'mon, Isabella. You're cutting into our roommate time!" It still wasn't working, so she hit below the belt. "Isabella Marie Swan, wake up now!"

"Alright, alright. You didn't have to bring up my middle name, Mary Alice Brandon." She giggled as I rolled over on my back. She smacked my leg and walked out of the room. I groaned as I headed towards my bathroom, and I heard her laugh again. Day people. Alice was one of those constantly perky people that got on normal people's nerves. I had known her most of our lives so I was used to her by now. I just couldn't stand it when she used her energy to wake me up.

I'd forgotten all about Edward Cullen until we were seated on our couch watching tv, waiting for the lasagna in the oven.

"Bella, you seem tense. Bad night?" I described for her the night, leaving out the details that would identify the guest. We weren't allowed to give out specifics and Alice was just as obsessed with Edward Cullen as most girls were. She would have freaked out if she knew Edward was staying at the hotel.

"Oh, I'm sorry. Maybe things won't be so bad today. Maybe he'll get over himself and leave you alone. How far did you get in your book?"

"Not very far. I'm just now halfway through. I kept getting interrupted and it was time to switch to homework before I got very far."

"How long is that guest planning to stay?"

"At least three weeks, maybe more." Alice groaned with me and changed the subject. She really liked a guy at work named Jasper and he made her happy today. That's all she talked about the rest of the time. The lasagna was done and I got to eat this time. Usually we were both talking so much that I had to take most of my dinner with me to finish at work.

Alice was a paralegal and was taking online classes to be a lawyer. My online classes were for a Master's degree in English. She was still talking as I got ready for work. She followed me around our small apartment, talking a mile a minute. So much had happened that day and she wanted to talk over it all and dissect it. She didn't even notice my distraction.

I knew that as far as check in and out was concerned work would not be busy. Seven pm is about the time that the fishermen are returning from the water and are leaving to get dinner. The hotel usually calms down again by 10pm. As the two weeks drag on, they settle down earlier and earlier as they soak up more sun and feel the drag of the tournament.

I had no clue why "Richard" would be in Forks, WA, but I doubted it was the fishing. He hadn't had any fishing tackle with him. It bothered me that I was still thinking about him. I just didn't know what to expect from the fourteen hours I'd been off. Would he have left? Did any other desk clerk meet him yet? Had he been discovered, or did he have some kind of disguise?

"Bella." I heard my name called before I even got to the front desk. I guessed it would be bad. Ericka was waiting for me. Oh crap.

"Hey Ericka. What's up?" She was looking very frazzled. The day manager and the head manager usually left at five, leaving Ericka or whoever else on their own until I showed up at eight. Neither of us liked it, because that was a busy time of the day and a time when a lot of mishaps occur. She wasn't alone, but there were still things happening that needed a manager. But of course you couldn't tell them that.

"The plumbing went out in five rooms today. Thankfully most of the guests were out, but we've only just got it fixed. We left messages on their cells, but there is still the possibility that you will have to deal with telling them. Sorry to leave you hanging with this. Lauren called in sick so I've been dealing with this all by myself. Mr. Morgan authorized a free week for each room. Here." She handed me the already signed vouchers.

"Oh, one more thing. Mr. Varner in 500 had a family emergency and had to check out early. So I was able to get Richard Masen his Jacuzzi." I rolled my eyes. She winked at me, letting me know she knew who he was.

"He was really nice. I didn't get one demand from him today. He'd probably just had a long, hard day and got just a little testy with you. Okay, see you tomorrow, bye!" She already had all her stuff collected and she left at that. I doubted that Ericka would have noticed even if "Richard" had been a jerk. She was a sucker for a pretty face, even if that guy wasn't a well-known celebrity.

The guests with the plumbing problems were all taken care of by about 9:30. They were all very calm and only one family accepted the free week. No damage had been done in any room and the one family seemed the type who'd spent their month's pay so the dad could spend two week's vacation fishing. I was always glad when someone like that got a chance to stay at our hotel. I hated that that kind of luxury was only for the rich.

I was finished with all my regular duties by 11 and was pretty much free until about 4am. I settled in for a few hours with my book—the short amount I would have until I would have to switch to homework. I was interrupted a few minutes later by a group of teenaged girls approaching my desk. I could hear them giggling all the way from the front door.

"May I help you?" I asked, already knowing what they wanted. It was a small town and I thought I recognized some of the girls, but didn't know any by name. Did they come from Port Angeles, or something? How could they know Edward was here? Did someone leak the story?

"Yes, we were wondering if you would tell us if a certain person were staying here?"

"I'm sorry but we cannot give out any information about our guests."

"Oh, come on, we won't tell anyone."

"I'm sorry but we cannot give out any information about our guests."

"But it's Edward Cullen! We heard he was staying here! He's famous and hot and has been in so many movies!" She gushed.

"I'm sorry but we cannot give out any information about our guests." I repeated for the third time. I kept hoping that maybe they'd get the hint and leave me alone. I had to wrack my brains for something that would keep from giving him away. As mad as he'd made me, I believed that celebrities should be treated as regular people and as such they deserved privacy if they wanted it.

"Ugly," one of the girls whispered behind her hand. I held onto my temper.

"Is there anything else I can help you with?"

"You can answer my question. It's just a simple yes or no. Is Edward Cullen staying here or not?" The girl that seemed like the leader was model blonde and thin. She spoke very slowly, enunciating every word as if I were ignorant or deaf. I tried not to stereotype her but it was difficult. After all, she couldn't help being born with a silver spoon in her mouth and blonde hair on her head.

"I'm sorry but we cannot give out any information about our guests," I said, speaking slowly myself, wondering if she were ignorant or deaf.

"What are you, some kind of parrot, or can't you think of anything original to say?" A small little brunette with red highlights said.

"Alright then. I _will _not give out any information about my guests." They stared me down, all five of them, little hands on their hips, fully expecting to get their way in this as in all other things.

"Fine. We'll just sit here and wait. If he's here, he'll have to come or go sometime." They made to sit in the chairs and couches across the way from my desk.

"Sure, however, this sign here says that anyone who sleeps here must pay at least 125 dollars a night per room. My managers love to take people's money. However, we do have the right to kick people off our property."

"Aren't you a manager? Your only reason for not telling us is that you _can't_ tell us. That doesn't mean that you wouldn't."

"Ah, but I have bosses." We stared each other down again.

"Fine, we'll just have to find another way to find out." She flipped her long hair over her shoulder and the group walked out, cussing and insulting me the whole way. I smiled and went back to my book. I pushed my worry aside that someone had spilled Edward's whereabouts. It was not my job to investigate.

I tend to get very absorbed in books when I read, however I try not to get in too deep when at work. I must have got in deeper than I thought in my book, because before I even heard a squeak on the floor, someone stood over my desk, clearing their throat.

The front desk is a long counter with two levels. The upper level was for customers to lean and write on and the lower level was where our computers and such were. That lower counter was low enough to sit at, but also high enough for us to comfortably stand up and type on the computer. We weren't allowed to sit down with people at our desk. I was sitting, my head down focused on my book when the guest cleared his throat. I looked straight up into Edward Cullen's beautiful green eyes.

"May I help you?" I asked, closing my book quickly. The good mood I'd had left me. He glanced down at my book, the cover was up. A smirk crossed his face, but then he stifled it. I thought I knew what he was thinking. He was probably wondering if I'd seen the movies and if I'd recognized him, but also thinking that if I had, I would have treated him much different than I had. He might even think I was rude because I was trying to hide how flustered I was by him. Jerk.

"I want to apologize for last night. I was tired and rude. I am used to Jacuzzis in hotel rooms, because I can afford to stay in the kind of hotels that would. However, there is no excuse for my rude behavior. I am sorry." He smiled and held out his hand. Oh my god was his crooked smile gorgeous. I grasped at my irritation to put some sound into my breathless voice.

"Apology accepted." I didn't shake his hand. "But there's really no need. We try to make our guests as comfortable as possible, whatever the request. It is my job."

"I am sure, but I am wanting to let you know that I am normally not like that," he said, frowning deepera little irritated. He still stood there, so I didn't feel released to turn back to my book, but I didn't have anything else to say. I just nodded and waited. He went down another path.

"So, reading, huh?" I nodded again, looking down at my book and moving my hands that futilely tried to hide the cover. "I've already read all five in the series myself. I liked them a lot. Do you like them?" I nodded again and looked back at him. He still had a stupid smirk on his perfect face.

"They were good books, which one is your favorite?"He'd asked a question I couldn't answer with just a nod. I had to speak. He was still smiling, and I couldn't quite think clearly. I looked down again, but I still couldn't figure out which one was my favorite. I liked them all. He took my silence as something else and went on himself.

"I personally liked that one the best. I liked reading the story from his viewpoint." I had a habit of speaking before thinking, and my words slipped out before I thought, especially since I was mad.

"I wonder, though, if you would have read them if you hadn't played him in the movies." You could feel the tension and almost cut it with a knife. He went from smiling and leaning towards me to a deep frown and rigid stance instantly. We heard a sort of stampede then. The sound of many feet walking down the lobby towards the desk.

Our hotel lobby was set up differently from most others. The front doors were to the right of the main desk, which was hidden by a small outcropping of the wall. The lobby was L-shaped slightly. The wall was just wide enough so that you couldn't see who was standing at the desk until you were there. It was designed to give privacy to our more exclusive guests. I looked down at the security camera and saw that the group of girls was back with about 10 more. Edward must have guessed who was coming because he darted off towards the elevators without another word. The girls' voices were high-pitched, giggly, and excited. Edward was out of sight by the time they came around the wall.

"May I help you?" I fought to keep my voice polite since our lobby was voice recorded.

"Yes, _this_ is the mayor's daughter. _She_ is the daughter of the head judge. We demand that you tell us if Edward Cullen is staying here. And we will not leave until you do." The blonde had a smug smile on her face, as did the two brunettes on either side of her. The other girls in the group looked expectant. I was very tempted to just point them in his annoying direction with a secret sign that the cameras would never catch. But that pleasure wasn't worth my job, no matter how much I hated him.

"This is not city hall or the courthouse. And, this is not a government or a criminal matter. So, I repeat. I cannot and will not give out any information on our guests. And, may I point out again, these signs that are clearly marked. And approved by the local government of Forks." In case they couldn't read, I explained them in plain English.

"This one means that, in order to sleep here, our lowest rate is 125 dollars 300a night, per room. This one means that we reserve the right to refuse service to anyone and that we can have someone forcefully removed from our private property.

"I'm sure that Brittany Nail there can explain the difference between the rules and rights of public and private property. If not, I'm sure her father would be glad to do so." Brittany's eyes got very wide.

"Melissa, I can't get into anymore trouble. I can't go to prom with Tyler if I do."

"Brit, prom is a year away. This is the summer. This is _Edward Cullen_. The hottest new star and the cover of every magazine you subscribe to."

"Sorry, Melissa. He might not even be here. Besides, I'm not sure if he's worth it."

"What? You know what Lauren said. He could _so_ be here, right now, somewhere in this very hotel! He so is worth it. He is hot. I am so gonna marry him someday," she finished dreamily. I snorted and she whirled to me.

"What's so funny, ugly?" I ignored the insult.

"Oh, just the idea of a movie star marrying anyone from Forks, WA. Much less a girl about eight years his junior. You'd be jail bait for two more years." I hoped she didn't catch the fact I knew how old he was. Oops. I was trying to remain unimpressed, but little facts about him like that kept slipping through.

"That's what you know. I am beautiful and rich. I am going to Hollywood and be an actress. Daddy says he'll pay for anything I want. Might as well introduce myself to my future husband early. Get him used to the idea." I suppressed another smile and snort. She shook her head to clear the daydream.

"So, you gonna help me or not?"

"If you would like to reserve a room, I can help you. However, we are all booked up for the next two weeks. I can also help you out the lobby doors. But I cannot help you to any personal information about our guests." I picked up the cordless phone and made to dial.

"You wouldn't," Melissa said. She stood her ground and I dialed the police department.

"Yes, hi. This is Bella Swan, the night manager at the Meadow Hotel. There is a large group of teenaged girls who are refusing to leave our lobby and are being loud and are starting to disturb our guests. Could you please send an officer by to help me? Thank you very much." I wanted to be more vague for the teen's benefit, but my dad was chief of police and I knew he'd freak out over any call from me. He hated that I was night shift manager.

By the time I'd hung up, a few of the girls including Brittany, the judge's daughter, had headed towards the front door. The majority, including Melissa and the mayor's daughter, stayed.

The officers that showed up ran silent and shut off their lights once they reached the end of our drive. The police department understood the management's desire to maintain a certain quiet and peaceful atmosphere. The teens started looking nervous as they saw the officers walking in. One of them was Charlie, my dad. Oh boy.

"Melissa Allinder. What are you doing at the Meadow Hotel causing trouble at midnight?" Chief Charlie asked. That's the trouble with being friends with the judge's daughter and living in a small town. She stuttered an explanation, full of lies and whines while one of the other officers stepped over to me.

"Bella Swan. What are you doing working here?"

"Mike Newton. A police officer. Never would have figured you for a law enforcer from high school." I tried to stay out of the station as much as possible once Charlie had bragged that Mike had begun working there.

"Yeah, I was a trouble maker wasn't I? I decided to be an officer. So, you work here?"

"Well, just while I'm working on my Master's Degree."

"Oh, okay. So, what's the problem here?" The chief and the other officer walked over then to hear it as well.

"They came in demanding that I tell them if a certain person was a guest here. I told them that we could not give out any information about our guests. They refused to leave. They were here first about 30 minutes ago, but they did leave after I pointed out our policies.

"They came back later with more girls threatening to stay until they found out if the person was here. They became very loud. Some of them did leave when I asked, but these did not." Melissa glared at me. I had pointed out a few things she'd lied about. She also knew I had a camera system to back me up. Charlie turned to the group.

"I will not tell your parents about this if you leave right now and do not come back." After one more glare from Melissa, the girls all left.

"Alright Bella, couldn't handle a few teenaged girls?"

"Dad, now you know teens are vicious and disrespectful now a days. I stayed polite but they were threatening with the mayor and I didn't want my guests disturbed." I was embarrassed. I should have told him that the judge's precious daughter was there, but at least she'd left, the mayor's daughter had stayed. I was not so much an adult that I was a snitch needlessly.

"Who were they wanted to know about?"

"Edward Cullen. He's a movie star who played in a few big movies." At the mention of Edward, Charlie's face flashed a knowing look.

"Oh. Is he here?"

"There is no Edward Cullen registered here."

"Bella, that's not what I asked."

"Dad, you know I can't tell you if he is here or not."

"You know those girls. If Melissa wants to know if he's here, they'll find out."

"This is a nice, four star hotel. Our guests want peace and quiet and Chase Morgan will fight to keep all four stars. If those girls have to be trespassed, they will be. And he will press charges against every single one of those girls, juveniles or not. I don't want them to get in that much trouble. I did all I could to get them to leave. We will not give out any information about our guests. Mr. Morgan even believes that even if the person is not here, we will take the harassment as if they were."

"That's a lot of trouble for rich people," Mike snorted

"Mr. Morgan wants to bring money to this area. Even if they just stay here for activities in Port Angeles or other places, they will still eat here and discover the charm of the area. This is a good spot for the rich and famous to come to get away from paparazzi. No one would guess that a movie star would go near Washington, much less Forks. We have suites that cost 1000 a night and others that are 300 a night."

"The police need to know if there is a big movie star staying here, but I guess that is Morgan's responsibility to tell us. If the locals found out there'd be a lot of trouble and we need to know to be prepared."

"But you would of course have to keep it a secret from the judge, too." Charlie blushed and looked away, confirming what I'd suspected. He quickly ushered the other two out. Charlie knew that the judge's daughter was Melissa's best friend, and had probably been there as well. The judge didn't like him and Charlie looked for ways to get in good with him. He was usually clueless about Hollywood, but he'd been forced to listen to enough gossip that he couldn't be ignorant of Edward Cullen.

"Have a peaceful night, Bella. Come see me soon."

"Okay, Dad. Talk to you later."

Once again I was left alone. I returned to my seat and my book. In spite of the fact that'd I'd been talking about him, I hadn't thought of Edward since he'd disappeared. Now I wondered where he was and if he'd heard any of what went on. I figured he'd retreated back to his room, packing to leave to escape the screaming teenaged girls.

I tried to put him out of my mind, but was finding it hard. Edward didn't return, didn't call to check out, either.

My workout wasn't as relaxing as it usually was. Alice and I worked out together, talking very little. I was exhausted so finished early. At home, I let the hot water of the shower wash over me, soothing my knotted back. I needed a Jacuzzi myself. The water ran cold so I reluctantly got out. Hopefully it would be warm when Alice got back. I still felt stiff from sitting still for so long—one of the few reasons I was unsatisfied with my job. The workout and shower helped some, but I knew I needed a vacation soon. It was summer, hot outside, but nice and cool in my bed in my west-facing room.


	3. Chapter 3

**A/N: Okay, this is probably all the updates for this week. I work full time and take college classes full time, so I can't update everyday. However, I have received enough encouragement that I will continue. Thanks so much for liking this story. Y'all are the first ones besides my mother to read any of my fiction. I was scared of people's reactions. Thanks again.**

**DISCLAIMER: Meyer owns the characters, and they own their own plot, i just transcribe it for them.**

Chapter 3

BPOV

_Bzzzz. Bzzzz. Bzzzz. _A strange buzzing noise was annoying me awake. It wasn't my alarm clock. That blared out an annoying bell and would snooze after a minute even without me touching it. I wrenched open my eyes, focusing on my clock. 1:15pm. It wouldn't have been my alarm clock anyway, not unless someone was playing a cruel joke on me.

It buzzed again and I saw the screen on my cell phone light up. I had left it on vibrate last night instead of silent. Crap. I didn't recognize the long distance number on caller ID and hoped it wasn't some stupid bill collector or something. I shouldn't have answered, but I was too groggy to really think anything through and automatically flipped it open. I tried to push the sleep out of my voice as I answered.

"Hello?"

"Isabella Swan?"

"Um, yeah?"

"Are you okay? Did I wake you?" So maybe I was unsuccessful at my attempts to keep out sleep.

"Yeah, but it's okay. Who is this?"

"Rich-um, Edward Cullen." I was instantly awake and ticked off. So now he was calling me at home? Couldn't he have just bugged the day manager? Or the head manager? Even trying to get me fired was better than being so rudely awoken.

"What—wait, how did you get this number?"

"I bribed Ericka, _she_ was very willing to help me out." I heard the smile in his very sexy British accent. Stop, Bella. I called up my irritation to anger.

"What?! Why are you harassing me at _home_? I am going back to sleep now, because I am off the clock and do not have to be polite, and yet do not want to be even more rude. Bye." I hung up and turned my phone to silent. I smiled to myself, strangely proud that I'd been so bold.

Unfortunately my anger was marred by the fact that I dreamed about him. And boy were they good dreams, too. His beautiful bronze hair, blowing in the wind coming from the lake. His crooked smile, smirking at me trying to walk up a hill covered in loose rocks. And his eyes. Oh, how they looked when he'd said he didn't want me to think he was always that rude… Oh how I tried not to think of him at all. Stupid Bella.

Edward was way too cute for his own good, or mine. And I was annoyed at my reaction to him. He was an unrealistic hope, even if he weren't a celebrity. Boy was I trying not to hope. It was easier to keep him at a distance with annoyance than have to face the pain I'd feel if I let him in and then he left.

"Shhh, Rose, don't wake her up yet. I need to get this on film," I heard Alice's voice and then a few giggles. Oh, great, I must have been talking in my sleep. Alice only ever tried to get me on film when I was saying something really embarrassing. I groaned and rolled over, playing with them a bit.

"Oh, she's on her stomach, Alice. This is gonna get good," Rosalie, our other best friend said. Yep, I talk in my sleep, but for some reason I can hold silly conversations when I'm on my stomach. I didn't want to think about what I'd said before Alice woke me up, but I probably would soon enough.

"No…don't buy that tomato, it's all lumpy…" I mumbled.

"Well, Bella, we need three tomatoes and it's the last one left," Alice giggled.

"Yeah, and if you're eating dinner with Edward Cullen, you need to make sure you have everything you need," Rose continued. I sat straight up so fast that I hit my head on Alice's camera and Rosalie fell off the bed in shock.

"What did you say about Edward Cullen?" I screeched, rubbing the bump on my head.

"Um, you were mumbling his name, and talking about seeing him.." Alice began.

"And then when you mentioned tomatoes, we thought you were dreaming about having dinner with him." Rose finished. I blushed and looked down at my bed.

"C'mon, Bella, it's not a big deal. So you had a dream about a hunky movie star. He is in your favorite movie." Before I could comment to try to save myself, Alice got a familiar gleam in her eyes. She pounced on me just as I rolled to the side. She landed on my pillow and I was up and into my bathroom in record time.

"Cheater! Bella, at least we have your conversation with _Edward _on TAPE!" Alice yelled at me.

"Hush, you perky pixie. I'm going to erase all your movies, if you don't let me do my business in peace!" I didn't hear anything from my room from either of the girls while I brushed my teeth and got my shower. I figured something was up since Rose never came over before the weekend because of all of our hectic lives. I wondered who she'd hooked up with this time, not that it really mattered, to her or the guy. She claimed she could tell in the first few minutes if a guy was worth a relationship or not. If not, she'd make out with them a little and then dazzle them before leaving them with the check and a false phone number.

"Bella, hurry! I have news!" Ah, so it was Alice who'd called the meeting this time.

"BellaJasperaskedmeoutandIhaveadatewithhimtomorrownightsoIneedyou!" She spit out at me when I came out of my bathroom. She bounced in place on my bed and Rosalie just smiled at her, trying to hold in a laugh.

I sighed and sat down next to Rose and listened to Alice's story. I knew better than to try to talk even when I didn't have a lot to think about. It was Thursday, thank God, and that meant the weekend for me after tonight. But then I was strangely anxious to be away from my desk for two nights…and three days… I ignored the explanation my brain offered and focused once more on Alice's story about how Jasper Whitlock had finally asked her out.

I approached the front desk at work cautiously. I was afraid of more plumbing problems or that Edward would be standing at the desk, waiting on me. Ericka looked sheepish as she greeted me.

"Don't be mad at me. He begged me with those beautiful green eyes and offered a bribe. I still wouldn't have given him your cell, but he said he was really sorry and wanted to apologize again. He seemed so sincere."

"It's okay, I'm not mad at you. _He's_ the one who woke me up at 1:15 and made me be rude again. I hate being rude, although I did like it that I was off the clock. His ego could always stand being taken down a peg or two." Nothing out of the ordinary had happened that day. Most of the fishermen had been in and out all day. It was a sign that they were already tiring out. They'd hang out in Port Angeles or Seattle over the weekend and come back Monday for the second week, all refreshed and ready to go again.

I loved these two weeks of the year. It was especially relaxing after a long run of proms. Those weeks teenagers about to be released into the real world were in and out of the lobby until early in the morning. Their parents splurged for a few rooms for one night and they took advantage of it. Fishermen were always settled down much earlier.

Everything was quiet by nine, and I was behind on homework. I wanted it done so that I could hang out this weekend. As six am approached, I became strangely agitated. I looked up at every sound and couldn't concentrate on what I was reading. It was interesting material too. It didn't take long before I realized why I was so distracted.

I wondered how Edward was taking the news that I knew who he really was. He couldn't have been so dense as to think he could get away with his charade. His self-esteem had to be healthy enough for him to know he'd be recognized, even in a small town like Forks. And why in the crap did he go through the trouble to get my cell phone number? Why should he care whether or not I forgave him?

"Ugh!" I said aloud, instantly embarrassed. I looked around the lobby, relieved that no one was there to hear my frustration. I sighed and glanced at the clock. Just two more hours until the weekend!

"Hey, Ericka. Quiet night as usual with these quests." Ericka worked the morning shift on Fridays to free up her nights.

"Did Mr. Masen try to talk to you again?"

"Nope, I probably scared him with my tirade yesterday. Not one peep from any of his people, either."

"Hmm. And I thought for sure he was desperate and sincere enough to try again." I shrugged and gathered my stuff.

"Oh well. What does it matter to him if a lowly hotel night manger is offended by him? It certainly doesn't matter to me. See you Monday morning." My lack of progress with my homework made me consider skipping my workout. Surely away from the hotel I could put Edward out of my mind. But it wouldn't be good to skip three days. So I went against my inclination and headed to the locker room. I really ought to listen to my instincts more often.

The gym was deserted as it usually was this time of the year and morning. I headed towards my favorite side of the room—the treadmills in the far corner. About halfway there, I froze, disbelief and panic flooding my body.

Edward Cullen was in the middle of the room lifting weights. Oh. My. God. No shirt. Nice abs and shoulders and sweaty hair falling in his face. Muscles contracting with each lift of the handweights. Breathe Bella, breathe.

I shook it off and almost turned around and fled. He was faced towards the mirrored wall, glancing up at himself every now and then. That snapped me out of my ogling, and I continued on the treadmills, not glancing at him more than once…okay, maybe twice, as I passed.

I tried to make as little noise as possible, not wanting to draw his attention my way. I was concentrating too much on ignoring him when I tripped over the leg of a weight bench and almost fell flat on my face. I heard a low laugh, but ignored it and my blush. I allowed my irritation to give me the strength to straighten up and get over to the treadmill I had locked my eyes on. There went my hope of him not noticing me. Stupid clumsy Bella.

I did my stretches with my back up against the wall and kept my eyes closed. If I opened them, he'd been directly in my line of sight. I stepped on the treadmill and turned on my iPod. I remained facing the tv in front of my treadmill and started my walk. The channels started changing, rapidly, as if he was trying to get me to turn around and yell at him. It was annoying. How could he possibly know if he wanted to watch something if he wasn't giving himself time to see what was on?

I turned up the volume on my iPod and closed my eyes again, concentrating on tuning everything out.

It all happened so quickly that I didn't quite understand what happened. I had been almost running, building up my endurance and speed on the machine. That day I had kicked it up to the next level and was struggling with keeping up. I felt someone touch my arm and jumped. I caught a flash of Alice's face, her hand still stretched towards my arm before the treadmill grabbed my feet and jerked me back.

I heard a sickening snap as I finally landed face first on the carpeted floor. Then I felt the pain shoot through my ankle a second later. I heard Alice and Edward calling my name, but they were muffled by the overwhelming pain in my ankle and the irritating burning on my face.

"Bella? Oh my God, Bella, are you okay?" Alice squeaked in my ear, trying to brush my hair out of my eyes.

"Isabella?" Edward. My face was very firmly planted in the carpet and I was feeling the burn of a full scale embarrassment warring with the carpet burns. I struggled to unfold myself so I could sit up and felt two pairs of hands trying to help me.

"Ow!" I had moved my ankle and the pain intensified.

"Bella, I think your ankle's broken," Alice choked out.

"Call 911, we need to get her to the hospital, I think you're right," Edward told Alice.

"No, no ambulance. Not here," I gasped out, gripping Alice's arm. I glared at her, willing her to understand.

"Bella, you need to get to the hospital, it's swelling. It looks bad." Alice said.

"No ambulance here. You know.." I trailed off in a gasp as the pain shot up my leg. Oh my God, kill me now!

"Okay, then, we'll just have to carry her to my car." What?! Carry me? Little pixie girl and bronze haired pretty boy?

"Not you," I gasped. But he was already gone after a flash of something in his eyes. "Alice, not him. Not Richard Masen." Recognition filled her eyes as she realized who he was.

"Sh, Bella. It will be okay. I can't go with you right away, anyway. This works perfectly. He can take you to the hospital and I can jet some files to the office and make it there before you even get into an examining room. I only came to let you know I had to go in early because of this huge case." It wasn't until then that I processed what she was wearing—a business skirt ensemble.

"Not him, Alice," I repeated, but she heard my relenting in my voice.

"Bells, honey, you don't want an ambulance here to disturb your guests, and we need to get you to an ER ASAP. There's no time to try to get Rosalie, who is probably still asleep. I've got to get these papers in. He's here. Let Richard take you." Just then, "Richard" returned, joined by the biggest guy I'd ever seen in my life. He walked slightly behind and to the right, making me curious as to his relationship with Edward. He looked as though he was used to that position. Edward surely heard Alice trying to convince me, but he didn't acknowledge it.

"Alright, Isabella," he began, but I cut in.

"Bella, please." He smiled a little and continued.

"Okay, Bella," even in pain that made my heart beat faster, stupid, "put your arm over my shoulder and your other on Emmett's shoulder there. Here, bend down, Em. Alice, is it? Can you get her stuff and bring it to my car? Now, Bella, we are going to lift you up slightly and I am going to hold up your ankle to keep it elevated, okay?" I glared at him, still not wanting him to be the one helping me.

"Or would you rather I dial 911?" He asked, flipping open his cell phone.

"Fine," I gasped again, holding out my arms. Edward mumbled something that sounded like "stubborn child" and bent down under my arm. Big guy Emmett bent down further and I found myself lifted up in the air, Edward's long fingers gently holding up my throbbing ankle.

They carried me, Alice following behind, outside the gym to the valet circle. Waiting for us was, of course, a shiny silver Volvo. I groaned, and they thought it was from the pain. Edward and Alice made comforting noises in their throats. Edward helped me gently into the front seat as Emmett hopped in back.

"You would have a car like this," I said through clinched teeth. Yeah, right, inconspicuous. He glanced at Alice, but she didn't seem to think anything of my comment.

"Bella, I'll get these files to work and meet you at the hospital. I'll also tell Renee and Charlie."

I nodded. My ankle was throbbing harder, a product of gravity pulling blood through my veins. I was gritting my teeth now, my breathing labored and hitched. I could feel myself flying into a panic, a product of too many trips to the hospital.

Edward pulled out of the parking lot way too fast to be safe, but I didn't comment. I pointed him in the right directions each time he needed to turn. We all three were silent until we reached the main highway.

"I should have known that a fan of the book would recognize me. I didn't really think an adult would be interested in those books. I was expecting an older adult to be night manager, anyway. That's my main reason for agreeing to check in so late."

"I'm 26, young enough to enjoy the books, and old enough to read what I want to. And old enough to handle cranky night shift guests." Emmett laughed loudly from the back seat. Edward just grimaced.

"Also, I saw you in your first movie. When I was much younger."

"Oh, yeah, you like those types of stories?"

"Yeah, classics and fantasies, mostly. But I read almost anything. " I shrugged, guessing he was trying to distract my attention from my ankle.

"Thanks," he said suddenly.

"For what? Giving you a tour of the way to the hospital?" Another laugh from Emmett.

"For not telling those girls I was here."

"I'm not allowed to. I guess you were listening?"

"Yep, he had to make sure we didn't have to pack and run like mad to escape screaming teenagers." Edward glared at him in the rearview mirror.

"You were justifiably angry with me and I had no right to expect you to keep my secret. I have to admit I was surprised at how you handled your own father, even." I blushed and looked out of the side window.

"Yeah, well, it would have been unprofessional of me. Even celebrities deserve peace every now and then, I guess." I blinked and we were suddenly pulling up in front of the ER. Edward and Emmett had sufficiently distracted me from the pain in my ankle. Now that I was thinking about it, it returned with a vengeance as if getting me back for escaping.

Emmett got in the driver's seat as Edward went inside to get a nurse and a wheelchair for me.

"Can't I just walk? Or hop?" I stared in embarrassment at the wheelchair.

"No, Bella. You probably have a broken ankle and hoping will just aggravate it more. Sit. Now," he almost growled at me.

I obliged and he rolled me into the packed room. The nurse handed me a clipboard of paperwork to fill out and walked away. Babies screamed from every corner. Men coughed and women sneezed. A few people had their eyes closed, heads leaned back on the wall. One guy had his hand wrapped in a bloody towel, a small piece of black plastic hinting at the knife still embedded there. I shuddered.

Edward rolled me next to a group of chairs and sat directly next to me. He held my purse in his lap and settled in after surveying the room. It would be a long wait, even with my emergency. Edward had a floppy hat pulled low on his ears and fake glasses with thick frames. I almost laughed at his ridiculous disguise.

"What?" he asked.

"Nothing," I replied, holding back a giggle.

I turned my eyes to my paperwork because I felt his eyes turn to my ankle. My leg was propped up by the foot rest of the wheelchair and the nurse had rolled up my sweatpants to get a look at the damage. I took a quick peek myself, wondering if there was anything to see yet.

I had avoided looking at my leg up until then, but his lingering gaze made me curious. I had a butterfly tattoo on my ankle, and I wondered if it would be affected by anything the doctor had to do. My ankle was blue and purple and swollen. It was also red in some parts. My tattoo was above the bruise line, but I knew that meant little.

In spite of my obvious injury, Alice and Rosalie both arrived before they came to take me to an examining room. They were invited back to help me change into the stupid paper apron.

"A doctor will be out after the surgery to let you know how it went," the nurse said to Edward and Emmett, who'd finally chosen to join us. I felt the blood drain from my face at her mention of _surgery_, but no one seemed to notice. They were too intent on their questions for the nurse.

"How long will it be before she goes into surgery?"

"How long will it take?"

"Will she have to stay over night?"

"Will she need a cast, or will a brace suffice?"

"Calm down, now. She'll be fine. The doctor has to see her first, then we'll let you know, okay? When her parents arrive, tell them to let the nurse over there know and she'll let the doctor know." Renee was in Phoenix on a second honeymoon with her husband Phil and I wondered randomly if she'd come back when Alice told her the news. She was used to me taking care of myself, but would that apply in this injured state? Alice and Rose stood up to follow us back to the examining room.

"Thanks, 'Richard'. You don't have to wait here, I'm sure your GPS will get you back to the hotel just fine," I called over my shoulder as they wheeled me away. I chose not to look back at him.


	4. Chapter 4

**Disclaimer: The **_**Twilight**_** characters belong to Stephenie Meyer. Any others are up for grabs, that's why they're here. **

EPOV

"Come on, Edward, do I really have to go?" Emmett whined, again.

"Yes, you are my most trusted bodyguard. I need you in case some stalker decides to kidnap me. Or a bomber decides to blow me up."

"Ha, ha. Who could find you in _Forks_, stalker or not?" Emmett was my bodyguard and best friend, and I took advantage of those facts quite often. I knew he loved LA with all of the lights and parties and women, and that the very idea of a small town like Forks was a literal hell for him.

I had to admit I wasn't too keen on the idea myself. I cursed Jessica Stanley for this one. I needed a vacation. Four big hit movies in three years and all of the celebrity fallout from said movies had wiped me out. We'd recently wrapped filming on the second movie in a series, and I desperately wanted to relax before the release parties.

Jessica was my assistant, and I'd let her pick the destination for our six person vacation. She was still fuming over my recent rejection of her. I was _trying_ to be nice and let her go where she wanted, even with me. She'd chosen Forks, WA. A little nowhere town in the middle of a nowhere state. Why? I could almost read her mind. She was determined to get me to "see the light" about how great she was and she figured without distractions I would see her more clearly. As if.

Her voiced thoughts always made me glad I couldn't hear the unvoiced ones. I mean, come on. She was 28. I was only 23. I had very little interest in a woman 5 years my senior.

"Em, relax. We're here at the airport, ready to board the plane. Might as well go along with it. Jessica would kill us if we disappeared anyway."

"Why did you let her pick the location, anyway. You shouldn't feel bad about rejecting her. You can't say yes to every single girl who talks to you. Well, you could, but you'd be pretty exhausted after a weekend like that, eh?" He said, elbowing my ribs. I slapped the back of his head.

The door to our private waiting room opened and Jessica entered, a smug look her only reaction to our disappointment.

"Sorry, boys. The plane's been delayed. We have to wait for the rain to settle the smog a little so the pilots can see. " All five of us groaned. Emmett left the room and came back a few minutes later with a brand new pack of cards. The other guys gratefully joined him in poker. I pulled out my IPOD and buried myself deeper in my seat.

Five hours later we landed in Seattle, where a driver met us with a stretch limo. We could have caught a smaller plane to Port Angeles; however, Jessica wanted a little more torture for us. We were forced to ride in a limo for three and a half freaking hours before we reached the hotel. I figured out that Jessica did all this on purpose when Ben, one of my body guards, worried aloud about check in times.

"Oh, don't worry, I called and let them know we'd be late checking in. They'll hold the room for us."

"What? Jessica, when did you call and let them know?" I asked, not really wanting to know her answer.

"Before we left LAX." She grinned at me. She'd timed it all out in her head. The delays with the smog. The two hour layover in Salt Lake. The three and a half hour drive from Seattle, when it could have been only one from Port Angeles. And her, right next to me, the whole freaking way. AH!

I tried to calm myself before we got to the hotel. I needed my head straight before facing the staff at the hotel. They probably knew already who was coming, but I preferred they not see me. Yes, I loved my fans, the screaming, the yelling my name, the gorgeous ones lined up outside my hotel rooms… Yeah, I loved my life, but I needed a vacation before I got too burned out. There were five weeks until the filming started on my new movie and then there was the premier of my latest one.

The Meadow Hotel and Suites was a smallish hotel with valet parking. Jessica had spent the whole ride gibbering all about the town, the local relaxing 'hot spots', and this hotel. Apparently it was set aside for the rich and famous to get away from it all and have some privacy. The prices were low as well. I sighed as I stepped out of the limo and looked up at all five floors. Hopefully my Jacuzzi was already heated and waiting. Jessica had better have called and requested the usual set up.

The limo driver smiled at me and bowed his head slightly as he held open the door. He helped Jessica out as I stepped away. I turned to see George, one of my other bodyguards pull my rented silver Volvo into a parking space—it was too late for valet service. I doubted I'd be going very many places for the next three weeks….on second thought maybe I _was_ glad I wasted my money on the car.

I headed towards the lobby doors as all five of them gathered around me. Did they really think I'd be attacked _here?_ I couldn't see the front desk, and wondered if it was an 'L' shaped lobby like some places were. As we got away from the doors, the view opened up and I noticed the desk was hidden by an outcropping of wall.

We rounded the wall and faced a timid brunette who seemed to be waiting for us. She was sort of pretty, in an ordinary kind of way. Wide, chocolate brown eyes and a heart shaped face framed by her long dark brown hair. Her eyes were guarded, and her nose was slightly wrinkled as if she smelled something distasteful. Jessica stepped forward as soon as she saw the desk clerk, her expression similar to the clerk's.

"Excuse me, Miss. We need to check in."

"Sure, may I have your names?" Her voice was sweet, and her face relaxed as I stepped forward to join Jessica. The three rooms had been reserved under one of my aliases so I would probably have some paperwork to fill out or something.

"The reservation should be for three rooms in the name of Richard Masen," Jessica said, inclining her head towards me. "We will be staying for at least three weeks, maybe more." Something flashed across the clerk's face, _Isabella_ her nametag read. Recognition? It was gone instantly, replaced by a far off look and her voice was more professional instead of sweet as she spoke next.

"Okay, I need one person from each room to fill out one of these cards, please." I took the cards from her and filled one out for mine and Emmett's room as Jessica and George filled out the cards for their own. I handed my card back to Isabella and flinched as she slightly started as she glanced at it. What had she seen to make her react that way? Did she suspect already who I was?

"Okay, here are your room keys. 519, 521, and 530. Room 530 is the larger suite." She said and Jessica took the three bundles of keys. "Welcome to the Meadow Hotel and Suites, enjoy your stay." A bellhop came from behind the desk and loaded up the bags that my boys carried. Emmett and I followed Jessica to the elevators as the others went out for the rest of them.

Jessica handed me the keys to room 530 and whispered that she was in 521, just down the hall. I rolled my eyes after she'd winked and walked away. Emmett chuckled under his breath.

I unlocked the door, very eager for a nice long soak and a nice long night's sleep. I threw my key on the kitchenette counter and practically ran for the bedroom. Two queen sized beds and a 42" plasma tv on a low dresser. Very nice for a small place like this.

I zoomed towards the bathroom, throwing off my shirt and unzipping my pants, only to freeze as I saw the tub. No Jacuzzi. Just a regular old large bathtub and shower. Oh, crap no. This was unacceptable. What hotel puts a celebrity like _Edward freaking Cullen_ in a room with a freaking bathtub with no massaging jets?! Nope, not going to happen. Maybe it was a mistake. Maybe the desk clerk had read the computer wrong. That had to be it. She didn't look that stupid, but maybe there was something in the water that made people a little slow.

I went back into the living room area and ignored Emmett's question about the bedroom. I called Jessica first and she said she did not have a Jacuzzi and that she'd checked George's room for one as well. She'd planned to switch rooms if he had one, but no luck there either. I hung up on her and dialed '0' for the front desk and waited for her to pick up. She answered after the first ring, sounding a little distracted.

"Meadow front desk, how may I help you?"

"Yes, Isabella, this is Richard Masen, we just checked in? There seems to be a problem with our rooms." I tried to reign in my agitation.

"I'm sorry, sir, what can I help with?"

"Well, none of our rooms have a Jacuzzi and I was really looking forward to a relaxing bath after my long day of travel."

"I'm sorry sir, but those are our most requested rooms and we have so few that you have to ask for one." I sighed, trying harder to remain polite. It wasn't her fault the stupid designers were so far behind the times. Once again I wondered what kind of fool hotel does not have a Jacuzzi in every room? Even in a small town like Forks?

"I did ask for one, but there's no harm done. We have not unpacked yet, we can just move rooms." Jessica probably had not thought to ask for one, but Isabella did not know that, right?

"I'm sorry Mr. Masen, but we have no other empty rooms. We're booked solid."

"But surely there has to be a room somewhere in here where the guests have not yet checked in. Move us to one of those rooms with a Jacuzzi and give our rooms to them." All I wanted right then was to relax with massaging jets of hot water and go to bed. Flying all day and then spending hours in a limo with Jessica had frayed my nerves.

"I'm terribly sorry, but these are the busiest two weeks of the season for us and all of our guests are checked in. You took the last three empty rooms." Her voice sounded strained, as though she was struggling to remain polite as well.

"But we asked for a Jacuzzi and we did not get one. Could you not call one of the others and see if they would switch with me? Even if I have to be on another floor, I'd be okay." I let my irritation slip into my voice. Why was she being so darn unaccommodating? I deserved better service than this.

"Mr. Masen, you did not ask for a Jacuzzi."

"Yes I did, besides if it isn't in the computer, how would you know?"

"No sir, a Jacuzzi was not requested. I am now looking at your account and I know that no Jacuzzi was requested." Now I was ticked. What right did she have to call me a liar? How would she know whether I had or not?

"Are you saying I am a liar? That is not customer service, Miss. I say I did ask for one, and how would you know I did not?"

"Mr. Masen, I know because when , um, a Miss Jessica Stanley called to reserve the room, I was the one who answered the phone and set up the reservation. There was no mention at all about a Jacuzzi." My irritation and energy collapsed on me then. She was right. Jessica had made the reservation. I would have to ask her to see if she'd mentioned a Jacuzzi.

"Oh," I said and hung up. We'd just have to switch hotels. I was not going to spend three weeks in a small town hotel without some form of relaxation other than a tv. I called Jessica and tried to convince her to look for another hotel.

"Sorry, Edward, but there are no vacancies at any other hotels. Why do you think we ended up so far from any sort of civilization? I wanted to get away from the city, but not _this_ far away. There's some fishing tournament or something in Port Angeles and everything within a three hour radius is booked. And no, we are not packing up and leaving just to go find another small town in another state. I just got unpacked. Suck it up, we're here for three whole weeks." And she hung up on me. Old hag.

"So, Eddie, how's the Jacuzzi?" Emmett asked, still staring at the tv in the living room area.

"Emmett, did you not just hear my conversations?"

"Naw, I learned long ago to tune you out when you have that look on your face."

"Idiot. There is no Jacuzzi in any of our three rooms."

"What?! What kind of a hotel doesn't have Jacuzzi tubs?"

"Well, apparently, the designer of _this_ hotel didn't think it was important to have one in every room. So there are people, right now, enjoying a nice relaxing massaging bath, and I'm not." I felt my lips pout, but didn't try to hide it. This was turning into a horrible trip and it was only the first day. I had to think of something to do or else I'd go back to my fans in a worse mood than when I left.

I woke up the next morning to the sound of the chain saw that Emmett had swallowed. I threw an extra pillow at his head, but he just rolled over on his side and let loose a race car. I groaned and covered my head with another extra pillow.

Something hovered at the edge of my consciousness. I knew where I was—I'd been in enough hotels not to be thrown off by a new bed every night. I remembered yesterday—Jessica's smug face when she revealed where we were going, Emmett's whining about the fat chance of there being any hot girls in Forks, and arriving at the hotel. Oh yeah, and I'd been a complete jerk to the desk clerk.

I had acted like a spoiled brat, but hey, I was used to people jumping when I asked. Ever since my big break in my second movie, men and women had bent over backwards to make sure everything was just as I wanted it. King sized bed? No problem. Jacuzzi filled with mineral water every night? No problem. A restaurant with macaroni and cheese and pineapple prepared for me every day (not that I would ever eat something that gross…again anyway)? No problem. A special person to disinfect every single doorknob I might touch? Sure, why not?

However, that Isabella chick was not going to put out any other guest to help me out. If she'd just told them it was for _Edward Cullen_, I'm sure they would have gladly switched rooms for me. Oh wait, maybe she didn't know who I was. Jessica had mentioned something about the manager being eager to make this place into a haven for celebrities wanting to get away privately. Did he keep it a secret from his employees as well?

I felt the need to explain to her my behavior. I didn't want to lose even one potential fan, and maybe if I was nicer to her, she'd mention to another guest that I needed a new room. I didn't know what time she came on duty, but I figured if I tried around the same time that we had arrived, she'd be there. So I had all day to figure out how to apologize and get on her good side.

All day long. An extremely boring day it turned out to be. Emmett finally spit up his chain saw and racing car and woke up with a slight hang over from not getting enough sleep.

"So, Eddie, what are we doing today?"

"Dude, do not call me Eddie. I don't know. Jessica is the genius in this plan. Ask her. I don't even know what Forks has." He rolled off the bed until his feet hit the floor with a bang and went for his cell phone on the dresser.

"So, Jess, what's up for today? Huh? No way, you can't do that! Yes I know-but-no, wait-yeah he does-Jess? Jessica? Crap, man, she hung up on me."

"What'd she say?"

"She said that _she_ is in Port Angeles right now having lunch and that we're on our own today. She also said that it's your fault and that you'd know what she meant if I didn't. Dude, how harsh were you?"

"Not harsh at all. I let her know in a gentlemanly manner that I wasn't interested in her. She was my assistant, that was all." I thought back over the conversation. "Oh, maybe I also mentioned the five year age difference." He threw his cell phone at me then, and it almost hit me, but I was faster than him. He let out a string of profanities that would make a sailor proud and stomped into the bathroom.

We were stuck in a hotel in the middle of nowhere with only one car among five men who would never all fit in that car. Even if we could go somewhere, which one of us knew _where_ to go? Not me.

My other guards came in my room and we ordered pizza and watched tv and dvds all day long. I hoped Jessica was enjoying her revenge. I sure wasn't.

Only one good thing happened to lighten my mood and make me even more eager to apologize to the desk clerk. At about four my room phone rang. It was the day desk clerk letting me know that another guest had had an emergency and had to leave. The room had a Jacuzzi and it would be ready for us to move into at six. I leaped into the air with a hiss of "YES!"

"Em, pack up, we're moving down the hall to room 500 in two hours. We got ourselves a Jacuzzi!"

I didn't know when Isabella would be at the desk, so I decided to wait until about 11:30 to try to talk to her. The elevators were in a small lobby area off the main lobby so I peeked around the corner, hoping to see her and no one else. I'd left my hat and sunglasses up in my room. They were my usually sufficient customary disguise.

Sure enough, there she was, the top of her head just visible over the edge of the desk. She seemed bent over something, but she didn't move very much. I knew it was her because last night I'd stared at her forehead most of the time instead of her eyes, another habit of mine I'd picked up. It usually kept people from seeing my face fully, and sometimes kept people from recognizing me.

She must have been very into whatever was going on because she didn't move a muscle as I approached. My squeaky shoes echoed in the large space, but she didn't even look up. I leaned over the desk, trying to make out what book she was reading. When I couldn't, I decided it was time to make her aware of my presence. I cleared my throat gently, trying not to startle her.

She looked straight up into my eyes, shocking me with the depth of her chocolate brown ones.

"May I help you?" She asked politely, frowning and closing her book. I noticed the cover and recognized it as one of the book versions of my breakout movie. I couldn't help but smile—she had to have known who I was. She noticed my staring and indignation made her eyes darker. I straightened out my face, not wanting her to think I was laughing at her.

"I want to apologize for last night. I was tired and rude. I am used to Jacuzzis in hotel rooms, because I can afford to stay in the kind of hotels that would. However, there is no excuse for my rude behavior. I am sorry." I smiled and held out my hand, hoping she'd take it and my apology and I could escape back to my room. Anytime now the giggling and the flirting would begin. She didn't say anything for a few beats and I wondered why. Did I dazzle her to the point of silence?

"Apology accepted. But there's really no need. We try to make our guests as comfortable as possible, whatever the request. It is my job." No giggling. No flirting. Nothing but rejection. She'd brushed off my hand and apology as if it was something she heard every day. As if it were normal for guys to be rude to her and I was just like any normal guy. No way.

"I am sure, but I am trying to let you know that I am normally not like that," I said, frowning deeper. What could I do to get her to see I really wasn't like that? I was usually too polite and nice to girls, even if they did giggle and flirt. She didn't answer, just glanced down at her book and back up to me. I could tell she was ready to get this over with and get back to her reading. Was I that annoying and forgettable at the same time?

I was intrigued by her mixed reactions, and by the fact that here was a girl, no woman, that seemed intelligent yet so clueless at the same time. Maybe she really thought I was just another rich guest? I needed to know that she fully forgave me, not "Richard Masen" the guest, but Edward Cullen. Of course, I didn't want her to know I was Edward Cullen. I tried to get her to talking again.

"So, reading, huh? I've already read all five in the series myself. I liked them a lot. Do you like them?" She nodded and tried to move her small hands to hide the cover of the book. No such luck.

"They were good books, which one is your favorite?" She would have to speak this time. I held the forced smile on my face and waited. And waited. And waited. She looked down, probably ignoring me, hoping that when she looked back up I'd be gone. So I tried again.

"I personally liked that one the best. I liked reading the story from his viewpoint." Her next words told me exactly what I needed to know.

"I wonder, though, if you would have read them if you hadn't played him in the movies." I was taken aback and stood up rigidly. Before I could relax and do some damage control, a large sound of clicking high heels filled the lobby. I didn't have to glance around the wall to know that if I stayed another second I'd be pounced on by a group of fans. I dashed off to the elevator lobby and hid there, listening.

Isabella was still angry at me. I could tell from the way her voice struggled to remain polite as she asked how she could help the group of giggling girls. Teenagers probably. The voices were too high pitched to be women. Had they found out I was here? _How _had they found out I was here? Had Jessica promised peace and drug us out to this God-forsaken town just to call in the locals? Is that why she still hadn't come back to the hotel?

I listened as she refused to tell them if I was here. She stood up for my privacy even with a bunch of insults and threats being thrown at her. It was a large group, judging by the sound, and large groups of obsessed teens were intimidating. Isabella handled them professionally and perfectly. I stayed in the lobby until the police arrived. There was no reason to worry and no reason to have to pack and leave.

I was relieved because I suddenly found a possible way to make these three weeks pass by quickly. Isabella seemed a tough nut to crack, and had already proven herself to be different from my normal fans. It could be fun to try to get her to warm up to me and maybe even be friends. Emmett was a great guy, but he could grate on your nerves after a few days of concentrated stupidity.

Maybe Isabella would dilute him for me while I was here.

**A/N: I got some of Edward's possible impossible hotel demands from this website: ****/2008/06/21/30-worst-celebrity-demands/****. Yep, some of them are rumored to be actual celebrity demands. Sad, isn't it? **

**Here you go. Another update. I was going to wait, since my homework is way behind and getting a smaller grade every day, but I love seeing a lot of hits on my chapters way too much. **

**Now if I can just get more reviews…**


	5. Chapter 5

**A/N: I hope this makes you guys happy. Thanks for liking it and being so eager for updates. Maybe I should slow down, though, and ask for some more reviews before the next chapter? Hmm? So, you gonna review? Lots of hits and faves and alerts, but only 15 reviews? C'mon, I give you five chapters and get 15 reviews?!**

**Please? Review? I need to know what you like and what you don't. **

**Disclaimer: I own nothing that is recognizable as belonging to the **_**Twilight **_**franchise…Stephenie Meyer does.**

Chapter 5

BPOV

I jerked awake suddenly, my brain in a haze, and tried to remember what happened. I heard a faint beeping sound and felt really sore all over. My face was irritated and my leg was propped up—oh, right, I broke my ankle on the treadmill. And I had a face full of rug burns.

I examined my right leg. It lay in a fabric cradle of sorts that was attached to the ceiling. I didn't think hospitals still used those for broken bones. It was wrapped tightly so I couldn't tell what damage had been done to my tattoo. I touched my face and winced at the large area covered in a bandage. As if I needed anything else to make me look less attractive.

"Oh great," I moaned.

"Bells, oh great, you're awake!"

"Hey Mom."

"How do you feel?"

"I don't. I'm all fuzzy. Maybe I'll get the feeling back in a few hours." Two people laughed.

"Hey Dad." Charlie bent over and hugged me gently, craning his head back so as to not hurt my face. "So, what's the verdict?"

My parents looked at each other. I was momentarily distracted by the knowledge that they were in one room, together, not fighting. That hadn't happened in a very long time. They were still looking at each other, silently communicating in that way that even divorced parents had. That concerned me. I mean I'm 26, not 12, what was so bad that they felt they should edit what they told me?

"Well, what did you _do_ honey? Alice said you fell off a treadmill, but Bella, your ankle is splintered all the way through. That's hard to accomplish on a slow speed treadmill, even for you," Renee said. I blushed. Of course she'd go there.

"It was going faster than I was used to, Mom, really. I had my iPod up really loud, tuning out a lot of things, and Alice startled me. The belt caught my feet and I fell off. I promise that's all. You can even check the gym video if you want." Splintered all the way through? Ouch.

"Okay, I guess that it makes sense, of course it is you we're talking about." I flinched at my mother's assessment. They'd obviously been more concerned that Alice had lied to them than they were about my injuries. "They want to keep you for two nights. Tomorrow they will put in metal rods to hold the bones together."

"This is going to be a very long, drawn out process, isn't it?" They both nodded. I sighed.

"There goes all my vacation and sick time and savings." My parents merely looked at each other again.

A few hours later the doctor came in and clarified a few things. My leg was broken just above the ankle joint and it was splintered all the way through. A clean break would have been great, but since it was in pieces, the metal rods were needed to hold them together. They had removed all the smaller pieces of bone today and wanted to wait overnight to let it heal a little bit. I could not get up at all until the rods and pins were put in. This was going to be complicated and very embarrassing.

Alice and Rosalie came in after the doctor. Alice looked very guilty, and I could guess why. We all knew that she liked, no _loved_, her job almost as much as she loved fashion (which is a lot). Here lately, she'd felt that she'd had to put it before her best friends way too many times, though, and she was only a paralegal, not even a lawyer yet. Once again, she'd had to leave me to take care of something. And she'd left me in the hands of someone she knew I disliked very much.

Her guilt over this, by the way, was the only thing I could guess was keeping her from realizing who "Richard Masen" really was. As I said before, she was really into celebrities. I guess it's a given when you're so into fashion. Celebrities do tend to rule the fashion scene.

I spoke first, trying to relieve the ache I felt at her pouty face. That was just not my Alice.

"How was the trial?" She pouted further, then brightened a little.

"We won. I guess I wasn't as crucial as I thought. They just took my notes and shooed me away." Rose elbowed her.

"Dummy, they only shooed her out because she was crying over having to leave you with Richard," Rose said. That brought Alice's face down again.

"Oh, Bella, I-I-I'm so, so-sorry!" She practically screamed in tears, hiding her face in her hands. My parents looked at me helplessly. They obviously hadn't heard anything about "Richard". I grabbed her wrist and pulled her to me. She was so small that there was plenty of room for her beside me on the bed.

"Ali, stop that! I told you I understood. It really wasn't as bad as I thought it would be, I promise. You're here now, and you got here before I underwent surgery, so I got to say goodbye one last time before going under the knife." I winked at Rose over Alice's back. It was a joke we all three shared. I'd been to the hospital so many times I tended to get very nervous when going in to surgery. You'd think I'd get used to it after a while, but it just kept getting more nerve wracking. I used to say that one of these days I'd be the victim of a freak accident and be the one statistic to throw off a perfect non-death record.

Alice slapped me weakly and sat up. Her pout had turned into a glare.

"Not funny, Bella." Everyone else disagreed and laughed. It was eight o'clock and I knew that they all had stuff to do. I remembered Alice had her date with Jasper at nine, and Rosalie would be hanging out with our other friends. They usually got together at nine or so. My parents probably wanted to get back to their boring stay at home lives. Renee had her husband Phil (they'd only been married two months), and Charlie would either work, go fishing, or head down to La Push to see his friends. Harry Clearwater and Billy Black lived on the reservation and were Charlie's fishing buddies. Fishing. God was there anything else to do around here? Of course, they could never afford to join in the tournament, that seemed to be for the richest people only.

"Okay, guys, don't you have better things to do than hang out in the hospital?"

"Bells, you don't think we'll leave you here alone? All night?" Rose protested. She was backed up by Alice and my parents.

"I'll be fine. I'm in my usual room, it's almost like sleeping in my own bed. I just need someone to bring me some things if I'm to be here for two nights." After some more arguing and protesting, I finally convinced them to leave. There was no point in pulling in anyone else to my hell. Renee wrote down the items I needed and Alice grabbed the list from her. They all four left, Alice and Renee arguing over who would be the one to bring me my stuff.

My head was still fuzzy so I settled into the bed and tried to get comfortable enough to sleep while waiting for someone to bring my stuff. A knock on the door woke me from my shallow sleep. I flipped open my cell phone and saw that it was nine fifty—almost the end of visiting hours. Man, I hoped I wouldn't have to argue more to get whoever to go home. I cleared the sleep from my throat.

"Come in," I called, and then wished I had screamed at them to leave. "Richard" walked in, carrying an overnight bag and my laptop case. He was in full disguise mode—the stupid hat and sunglasses he was still wearing indoors. Did he not think he was _more_ noticeable with that getup?

I was too shocked to think rationally. He saw the shock on my face and smiled. His smirk helped me find my voice.

"What are _you_ doing here?" My voice was an octave too high and very rude, but he ignored it.

"I brought you the items you requested. I was in the waiting room when your parents arrived and introduced myself. I guess Alice hadn't told them yet about 'Richard Masen' because they were just grateful that I was there to help you. I heard them arguing about this stuff so I offered to bring it to you." He sat the two bags down on the faux leather recliner and sat down in the chair next to my bed.

"Why are you doing this?" It was confusing. This Adonis of a movie star was going out of his way to get my cell phone number, and to help me out? Wasn't he just a snob of a celebrity? Why was he being so nice? And why did he have to be hot while doing it?

He leaned closer to me, his glorious face filling my sight.

"It was my fault. You were trying so hard to tune me out." He guessed. "Alice practically yelled at you before she touched you. I would have left you alone, you didn't have to get so worked up." There was a little bit of pain in his eyes as he whispered this to me.

"What makes you think it had anything to do with you?" I asked, turning away from him and, of course, blushing.

"Because I've been a selfish and inconsiderate prick and made you be rude. Alice said you don't like to be rude to guests and that they have to push you very far for you to be so."

"Okay, well, um, now you've done two good deeds to make up for it. You can go on back to your Jacuzzi." I moved as I was talking and I gasped out the last words in pain. The morphine was wearing off. I guess the fuzziness of my brain was from Edward, not the meds.

Edward didn't say anything or react in anyway to what I said, except to reach behind me and buzz the nurse.

"Nurse, Miss Swan needs more pain medicine, please."

"No, I have homework to do, I can't afford too many days off."

"You'll be okay Bella. One day isn't going to kill you, or your grade." I rolled my eyes. He obviously had no idea how much work a Master's degree in English required. The nurse came in and injected more morphine in the IV. I sighed in relief as the pain eased, inspite of my irritation.

"All this for a simple broken leg," I whispered, almost forgetting Edward was still there.

"Huh. Simple? Not quite. A _clean_ break might have been simple, but not a splintered break." He snorted.

"Go home, 'Richard'," was my last statement before the morphine pulled me under.

I woke up and looked around the room, slightly disappointed to find myself alone. I couldn't remember who I was hoping would be there, and took a few minutes to wonder. I knew I had made my family and friends leave…and I know I didn't want _them_ to ruin their nights being here…nope, no idea who I thought would be there when I woke up.

My cell phone said it was seven, and my stomach said it was time for breakfast. Breakfast usually came around this time, so I waited. And waited. And waited, my stomach grumbling that maybe we'd been forgotten.

My nurse came in at eight, without breakfast.

"Good morning, Miss Swan," he said. "Your surgery is scheduled for nine, and I'm here to get your vitals and get you started in that direction." He moved around the room, hooking me up to various pieces of equipment and writing things down on his clipboard.

"You didn't eat anything after midnight, did you?" I shook my head. I didn't think I ate anything last night. After my family left things were kind of blurry. All I could tell was that someone had brought my stuff and had left before I woke up.

The nurse fiddled around some more with a few things and then unplugged my bed and pushed me out of the room. Charlie and Renee ran up about then, out of breath and happy they'd caught me before the surgery. Alice and Rose, I knew, wouldn't be up before eleven.

My parents kissed my forehead and said they'd see me after the surgery.

I wasn't as calm as I should have been going into it. Heaven's sakes, it was just a broken ankle. I asked the doctor a bunch of stupid questions to put it off.

"Where will the pins go? And the rods? Will this mess up my tattoo? How much anesthesia do you use? You ever get hit on by patients before they slip under?" He smiled at me, picking up on my nervousness.

"The pins will be put in here and here, and the rods will connect here, here, here, and here," he said, pointing to spots around the tattoo. I was relieved a little, and distracted. The anesthesiologists put something in my IV and there was no more delaying after that.

Of course, I would dream of Edward Cullen.


	6. Chapter 6

**A/N: Poll on my profile. How do you like Edward POV? You want more? A little more? A lot more? Vote and let me know. **

**Sorry for the delay. The problem was getting the POV right. Edward really wanted to tell his side of things, but there was something I needed to write before I could let him speak again. So, I made a deal with him. He'll speak at the end of this chapter and he stepped aside for the beginning of the chapter.**

**Disclaimer: All recognizable **_**Twilight**_** characters belong to Stephenie Meyer.**

Chapter 6

BPOV

I woke up hours later and stared at the ceiling. This was really getting old. I just wanted my comfortable bed. My comfortable life. No complications. No movie stars messing everything up. No doubt about it, Edward Cullen had completely rearranged my life in just a few days. Not that I'd let him know that. That's what I hated about famous things. Everyone rearranges their lives, obsessed with the thing or person or place or whatever is the celebrity of the second.

I sighed.

"Bella, honey, how do you feel?" Renee asked. I paused a second to evaluate. Confused, embarrassed, crushing on a movie star against my will…let's just go with,

"Groggy." A few people joined Renee in laughter. Someone raised my bed and I could see everyone. I felt a little disappointed again, and realized who I was searching for between the faces of my family. Edward. I pushed in way down again. Unrealistic, Bella!

"Bells, honey, they want you to stay tonight and they'll put on a cast later today," Charlie said.

I chanced a look at my leg. I held my breath and concentrated on trying to see the damage to my tattoo. My leg was covered in bandages at the places the rods stuck out of my leg, and I couldn't tell what shape the butterfly was in.

"Well, at least now I can get up and go to the bathroom." I earned another round of laughter for that one. Charlie helped me stand and Renee and Rose helped me to the bathroom. The short walk was exhausting. I had missed lunch for the surgery and almost missed dinner for them to put on the cast. It was slow work for them to place the plaster around the rods, but they got me back to my room just in time for the food tray.

It was slightly edible, and I groaned. "I can't wait to go home." My parents were still in the room, and they smelled lightly of Italian food. Traitors. None for me?

"Bella, dear, I think you should come stay with me for a while. It will be hard for you to take care of yourself while Alice and Rosalie are at work," Renee hesitantly spoke. She knew I preferred to be in my own house, in my own bed.

"No, Mom, I'll be okay. I can get around on crutches. This will be a good chance to get ahead on school work." She was already shaking her head before I was finished. She spoke again, no hesitancy this time.

"No, you're coming home with me. You need someone to help you get around. I don't know if you realize just how bad it is. It will be harder than you think to maneuver around even your small apartment on crutches. You just leave it to me," she said, patting my hand. "I'll take care of you," she said as if the case was closed.

Her words irritated me. No, infuriated me. _She_ take care of _me? _No, nope, wasn't gonna happen. I had been taking care of myself since I was a child, and I would continue to do so. I wanted my bed and I wanted to be out of the hospital.

Around the irritation, I knew the real reason I wanted to be at home. But I tried to ignore it. Something in Edward's attitude towards me made me think that we might be friends. I obviously couldn't expect anything more, and barely expected friendship. I _shouldn't_ be hoping for friendship.

He just felt needlessly guilty because technically, I brushed off his apologies instead of accepting them. I would call his hotel room when I got out of the hospital and officially accept his apology so he could move on.

"No, mom. I will stay in my apartment. I will be fine while Alice and Rose are at work, and even if they don't come rushing over just to take care of me. You can visit _sometimes_ during the day if you get too concerned. I can take care of myself." Renee could be almost as stubborn as me, but she knew I wouldn't budge on this, so after a few more protests, she gave in. No one else even suggested anything else.

I kicked them all out at nine, an hour before visiting hours were over. I knew they had things to do, and I wanted to get to bed early. Hopefully I could get out early in the morning if I was good. My bed was missing me as much as I was missing it.

I hated sleeping somewhere different, and even the familiar hospital was getting to me. That was the reason I'd given Renee for wanting to stay in mine and Alice's apartment. It I was going to be uncomfortable with a few extra pounds of plaster, I needed to be so in my own place.

I woke up to the sun streaming brightly into my face. I didn't remember falling asleep, but I guessed I had.

"Stupid sunlight," I mumbled.

"I'll close the curtains," a beautiful, velvety, British accent answered me. I jerked the covers up to my chin, glad that Renee and Alice had dressed me some real clothes before leaving yesterday.

"Why are you here?"

"Because we didn't want you to stay all night alone. I stayed last night too, but I left before you woke up. Man, you snore so loud," he teased.

"Shut up, I do not snore. Talk, maybe. Snore, no." He smirked at me and settled back down into the faux leather recliner.

"I thought I'd never get to sleep, especially not in this thing."

"Why you? If they wanted someone to stay this badly, why you?" I was far past trying to be professional and polite. He'd crossed into _my_ world and had turned it upside down. I figured I had every right to get some answers. He just shrugged, I guessed he was used to me being blunt by now.

"I volunteered. We all figured you would be asleep the entire time anyway."

"Oh, okay. Well, your guilt should be taken care of by now. That's three good deeds. I accept your apology, with no buts. You can get back to your reason for being at our hotel, and leave me alone." I didn't look at him during my speech, not really wanting to see his face. I could feel the blush creeping up on my face as I spoke.

Suddenly my bed was moving, the head elevating, pushing me into a sitting position.

Edward held the bed remote in his hand and he had an expression on his face that could only be described as angrily insulted. Insulted? Why was Mr. Spoiled Brat Movie Star insulted by Not Important Plain Jane _me_? Could he be insulted by me?

"So, is that really what you think I'm doing? Do you really think I'm _that_ type of guy? You don't know me very well, do you?"

"I don't know you at all, and I don't claim to. But Forks is a long way from Hollywood. I have no other clue why you have done all you've done for me. But I do know it can't be because you want to be friends. Especially not after I've been so rude to you." I took a deep breath. This was hard to say because even if he did turn my life upside down, he had a place in it. And this would set him free from whatever obligation he felt towards me.

"So, I'm trying to let you know that I accept your apology. Thank you very much, for everything. I'll be off work for at least six weeks, so I won't be at the hotel to trouble you for the rest of your stay." My voice was flat and emotionless for most of that speech. I felt sad more than angry.

Edward just sat there, trying to hold my gaze. I looked away, not able to look _anyone_ in the face for very long. He was silent for a long time, trying to read my face. He finally spoke.

"Oh. Okay. I see now. That _is _how you really see me."

**EPOV**

Wow. A butterfly tattoo. I silently thanked the nurse that had rolled up her pant leg to allow me to glimpse that. A very attractive ankle. I regretted the event that allowed that view, but couldn't help enjoying it. Why in the world was she so determined to block me out? Of course, I knew why she'd been so out of it when her friend had tried to get her attention.

It was a stupid move on my part to call her at home, but how was I supposed to know she would still be asleep? Ericka, the day clerk, didn't tell me she worked until 6am. The teenagers from the other night had called her a manager. Did managers really work 3rd shift? I guess so.

I would have left her alone, especially after the humiliation I had faced after her phone call. I had her on speaker phone because I was trying to show off to Emmett how a celebrity handles things such as this. And Emmett hadn't shut up about it since.

"So, Mr. Smooth, what's on the agenda today? More rejection from the pretty desk clerk? Or, you know, we could try for some rejection in Port Angeles. Or even Seattle. We won't tell the other guys, just sneak off. What do ya say? I could go for some action about now."

"I am going to the gym first, and then we'll see about Seattle." With the fishing tournament in Port Angeles, I doubted we'd find Emmett's type of action.

"Now, save a little energy and frustration for later, Eddie. Don't want to go getting hung up on again because of a little problem, now do we?" He burst out laughing as I threw his cell phone at his head and darted out the door.

Of course, how was I to know Isabella would be there? And how was I to know she'd hate me so much as to try so hard to ignore me? My irritation with _her_ grew with each lift of the handweight. Once she was on the treadmill, I switched to the dumbbell. Of course, I had been very distracted at the sight of her doing her stretches. Even if her back was to the wall.

I had hoped that I could use her as some sort of entertainment while in this hell hole of a town, but my hopes were being dashed with each conversation.

And then it happened. I looked up when her friend yelled her name, only to watch as her body went flying off the end of the treadmill. Broken ankle.

Isabella was so stubborn. Correction, _Bella _was so stubborn. The shortened form of her name fit her. Not wanting an ambulance just to save the reputation of the hotel? At least it meant I could spend a little time with her. Maybe get to unravel her a little bit. I definitely wouldn't be bored, I knew that much.

I called Emmett on my way to my rented car, there was no way I'd be able to carry her alone. Her friend looked way too small to help, too. Emmett would cuss me out for going somewhere without telling him or getting one of the guys to come along. Sometimes I felt like such a child.

"Hey, Emmett, I need your help, can you meet me at the gym?"

"Found a hot chick and you need help seducing her?"

"No, but I do need your help with a woman. Bella fell off a treadmill and we think she broke her ankle."

"Who?"

"Isabella, the desk clerk? Keep up, Em."

"Oh, okay……So, um, what do you need me for?"

"It was kind of my fault, I guess and I need to take her to the hospital and I need you to help me carry her." The dumb ox finally got my message and came down to help.

Bella's eyes widened a little when she saw Emmett and widened larger when she found out we'd be carrying her. So, did she not like to be taken care of, or something?

Her words had a biting, sarcastic tone as I tried to distract her from the pain on the way to the hospital. Emmett gave me a pointed look in the rearview mirror when she revealed she was 26. So? Bella was different than Jessica. And it was only three years, not five. Bella was _not_ an old hag.

Like I said, I was so grateful to the nurse that had rolled up her pant leg. Beautiful.

When Bella's roommate and friend got to the waiting room, I knew we had a complication going on. Emmett's eyes just about popped out of his sockets when he saw the tall, gorgeous blonde. I had to admit, even with her features twisted in concern, she was a knock out model. And totally Emmett's type. Mine too, actually.

However, I was a bit distracted by the back of Bella's head as her friends followed her back to the examining room.

"Thanks, 'Richard'. You don't have to wait here, I'm sure your GPS will get you back to the hotel just fine," she called out, not turning around at all. My chest twisted in an unfamiliar way, and I guessed it was all her friends' worries over her surgery catching up to me.


	7. Chapter 7

**A/N: Here's another one, still in other people's POV. Now that Edward has a chance, he just won't shut up! But really, why would anyone _ever_ want to shut Edward Cullen up?**

**Shout out to a few faithful reviewers: Zoella De Vil, three.little.words., justm, caww, and anime123456781. Thanks guys for your reviews! Really, thanks to everyone, especailly those who mentioned specific things that they liked or disliked in their reviews. I like to know these things. **

**Disclaimer: All recognizable **_**Twilight**_** characters belong to Stephenie Meyer.**

Chapter 7:

EPOV

A few minutes after they wheeled Bella back, a woman dashed through the doors and frantically searched the faces in the crowded waiting room. Before she could finish, she was joined by a man who looked similarly disheveled. I was still sitting in the seat next to where Bella's wheelchair had been, and was close to where the woman had stopped to look around.

"Do you see anyone we know? Alice? Rosalie?" the woman asked the man.

"No, but maybe they're back with Bella, I'll go ask the nurses," the man replied and walked over to the desk. These must be Bella's parents. Now that I thought about it, I could see the resemblance. I approached them, leaving Emmett to save my seat.

"Excuse me, but did you mention Bella and Alice?" Rosalie must be the blonde's name. The woman turned to me and screeched.

"Yes! Oh my God, do you know my daughter Bella? Is she okay? What happened? Where is she?" I tried to calm her down, but she kept throwing questions at me before I could answer any of them. The man returned, looking aggravated, but hid it when he saw the woman screeching at me.

"Renee? Calm down. What's going on?" He looked at me when she didn't say anything coherent. I stuck out my hand.

"Hello, I'm 'Richard Masen'," the man shook it.

"Charlie Swan, and this is Renee Dwyer. I'm Bella's father and this is her mother. Can you tell us what happened?" Before I could answer, Alice and the blonde came back. I stepped back and sat down next to Emmett.

"Oh Alice, Rosalie, what happened?" Renee was still screeching.

"Calm down, Renee," Alice soothed. "Bella's fine. She just fell off a treadmill at the gym and hurt her ankle. She also has some rug burns on her face, but other than that, she's fine." Renee calmed down some, but she looked like she doubted Alice's explanation for Bella's injuries. I stepped up to confirm her story.

"Yeah, her ankle is probably broken, but she didn't look like she had any other injuries, other than the rug burns." They all turned to me.

"Okay. Thanks, um…"

"Richard Masen," I said, not completely sure she'd heard me when I'd told Charlie my name. Alice and Rosalie gave me a hard look when I said my name, but they didn't say anything. I guessed Bella had spoken of me. Was my distraction really worth all this trouble? Maybe.

"Richard brought Bella here since I had to take care of something at work first," Alice explained. "It was a good thing he was there to help since Bella wouldn't allow an ambulance to disrupt the hotel."

"Yeah, her and that stupid hotel," Charlie said.

We all settled down in chairs to wait for word on Bella. Alice and Rosalie kept looking at me and whispering. At least until Rosalie noticed Emmett, who had been staring at her the entire time. Did he not care at all that I had been the cause of injury to some poor girl? Obviously not.

Rosalie was now throwing glances at Emmett, trying to hide it. He of course noticed since he was looking at her, and he puffed out his chest to emphasize how large it was. Moron. Those muscles had helped me out of a few drunken predicaments before, so I didn't really hate him for them, but was this really appropriate? Distracting the woman when her friend was in surgery?

They didn't approach each other for a while, and I thought that maybe he'd have the decency to keep his distance for now. But then he followed her to the bathroom. _He followed her, to the bathroom._ Idiot.

The doctor came out then and told Bella's parents and Alice that she was out of surgery, but they would have to keep her two nights.

"Her leg is broken just above the ankle joint and it is all the way through. The bone was splintered, though, so we'll have to put in rods. She'll need to stay off of it as much as possible and will need assistance as much as possible."

"Of course, Doctor. She'll be going home with me for a while." I was disappointed at that, but of course Bella's comfort and healing was more important than my distraction and curiosity. I knew that if she were at her mother's house I would not be spending much time with her.

When Rosalie returned from the bathroom, her face slightly flushed, they went in to Bella's room.

"Richard, are you coming? I'm sure Bella would like to thank you for helping," Renee asked me.

"No, I'll let you go alone. I'm sure she'll be fine not seeing me." Alice snorted at my comment, but left it at that. "I'll just find out how she is later."

Emmett didn't come back from the bathroom until they were gone. His face was flushed as well, a huge grin on his face.

"Hey Eddie, what's up?"

"Stop right there, Emmett. I don't even want to know what happened." His grin just widened. I rolled my eyes. Idiot.

I wondered who would stay with Bella overnight. I would love to volunteer for the job, but I knew she hated me and would definitely blame me for her injuries. I would let her, because it was my fault. I cursed myself again for harassing her. Why couldn't I just leave her alone? Why did I have to have her forgive me and understand that I wasn't like that?

Usually I just let women come and go in my life. Actually, most of the time I'd rather they come and go. I had yet to meet one I wanted to come, much less stay. Here I was, practically _pursuing_ a woman I knew very little about. Maybe it was time I did leave her alone.

To my surprise, both of her parents, Alice, and Rosalie all came out a few hours later. I had not left yet, hoping that one of them would leave Bella long enough to let me know she was okay. I was so anxious that Emmett left to get relief and some food. At least he brought me some.

Alice and Renee were arguing over who would bring Bella some items she'd requested since she would be staying two nights. They both had things to do, Alice actually had a date, but they both wanted to do this for her.

"I'll bring her stuff to her," I volunteered before the thought was fully formed in my brain. They all four looked at me. Irritation flared in Alice's eyes, but was replaced by speculation.

"Wanting another chance to apologize?" She said, pointedly. She did know. I merely nodded.

"Thanks, Richard, but we were really trying to decide who would bring the stuff and stay overnight with her," Charlie said.

"Bella doesn't want anyone to stay, but I'd feel better if someone were there," Renee said.

"Even if she'll be asleep the whole time," Alice said thoughtfully. Her eyes still held speculation. What was she thinking so hard about?

"Renee, why don't we let Richard bring her stuff and stay overnight? He obviously doesn't have much to do other than apologize, and Bella will be asleep all that time." Alice emphasized _apologize_ again and Rosalie looked at me, now with a thoughtful look on _her_ face. What was going on? Did I miss something?

"Okay, I guess he's better than no one at all. Alice can you pack a bag with her stuff and give it to Richard?" Renee handed Alice a list and said her goodbyes.

"We'll be here in the morning, hopefully before her surgery; can you let her know, Richard?" I nodded, knowing full well I planned to be gone before she woke up.

"Um, Renee, given how Bella doesn't really know him, maybe we shouldn't tell her Richard is staying with her these two nights," Rosalie suggested in a stage whisper.

"Oh, okay," Renee said, and she and Charlie left. Did her parents know about Bella hating me, too?

Alice finally turned to me once she was sure they were out of earshot.

"Okay, Richard, here's the thing. We don't want Bella to be alone, and it is convenient that you are here and so willing to help. But, we know what has happened in the past few days, and we don't want her to be upset right now. So, please, please, can you leave before she wakes up?" I cringed, remembering myself, but just nodded. There was no way I wanted to aggravate or hurt Bella more than I already had.

APOV

Man, this guy was cute. Richard Masen looked very familiar, but I couldn't place where I'd seen him before. My mind was distracted so maybe I could figure it out later.

Yes, he was cute, and not turned away by Bella's sarcasm and harsh treatment. He actually seemed to be coming back for more. Bella wasn't really as immune to his charms as she seemed, either. The phrase "the lady doth protest too much, methinks" came to mind often when she talked about this Richard Masen.

Anyway, I'd figured out already that she really actually liked the guy and if he would stop being a jerk and she'd stop being so stubborn, they could get together.

I had Richard and his friend Emmett follow Rose and me to my apartment and made them stay down in the parking lot. Rose stayed down there too. He got just enough knowledge of where Bella lived, without actually seeing her apartment. I gave him explicit instructions.

"Now, Richard, make sure you are gone before she wakes up. We don't want the poor girl to have a heart attack. And make sure she doesn't know you are there in the first place." I handed him the overnight bag and Bella's laptop. Her school stuff was stuffed in the bag.

One he was gone, I had only a few more minutes before Jasper picked me up. I know, it was very late, but he understood. Neither one of us had thought about delaying the date for another night—we were just too excited. I had to take a few minutes to let Rose in on my plan.

Apparently, she had a date of her own, a very sudden thing, and she was in a hurry too. Good thing she had a bunch of stuff at our place, she'd never make it in time. How did she end up with a date between this morning and now?


	8. Chapter 8

**A/N: Okay guys, I know you want them to get together, like, yesterday, but this is not a love at first sight story, sorry. This is an **_**interest**_** at first sight, perhaps love later, story. Be patient, please. And then, if you aren't satisfied, then you can kill me or whatever else, okay? Sound fair? I hope so. LOL.**

**I do want to give you what you want, because you guys are great, but I also gotta be true to the story, right?**

**Disclaimer: All **_**Twilight**_** characters belong to Stephenie Meyer.**

Chapter 8

EPOV

So, that was awkward. I've never been ditched so fast in my whole life, especially not by a guy. Apparently, Emmett had somehow managed to snag a date, and I had my ideas as to the lucky woman… I really thought he was an idiot, though. He let his hormones do the walking, talking, and thinking way too often.

"So…Eddie…I was thinking. You have to stay overnight here, and I need to get back to the hotel sometime to sleep…and I wasn't the one who cause the poor woman injury… I was thinking that I should take the Volvo tonight and come get you in the morning…"

"Whatever, Em, but if you call me _Eddie_ again, there will be no reason for you to ever date again. Not even that hot blonde friend of Bella's will reverse what I'll do to you." Emmett flinched.

"Who says I got a date with her?"

"You just did. I never said anything about a date with her. But now I know you have one. And it's probably tonight."

"Well, I just couldn't resist. We've been here four days and I'm bored. I need a distraction or something."

"Well, just don't let your distraction make you so tired you strand me here in the morning. You heard Alice, if Bella knows I'm there, Alice will hunt me down."

"Thanks, Eddie." We were at the hospital now, and I had Bella's stuff in my arms, ready to get out. At Emmett's words, I was practically kicked out of my rented car.

"Night!" He yelled through the passenger window as he drove away. I felt abandoned just standing at the curb. I looked up at the hospital and wondered if Bella would be asleep yet.

"Okay…we can't have it here…not in the _hospital_…" I chuckled silently to myself. So, Bella talked in her sleep. This should be an interesting two nights. I wondered if I could ask her some questions and get honest answers?

She hadn't been happy to see that I had brought her stuff to her, but she fell asleep too quickly to know that I was staying. That morphine really knocked her out.

Her outward appearance seemed simple and straightforward enough, but when she spoke you knew there was nothing simple about her. Her beautiful brown eyes (yes, I had to admit they were very beautiful, especially when she was whipping out those sharp comments) showed much intelligence and whit.

"Yes I do want to help…just not with the carrots…because I _hate _carrots…" I laughed again. I wondered why she was dreaming about carrots, and if it were a serious dream or a funny one.

I twisted on the faux leather recliner, desperate for some depth of unconsciousness. The surface did not give at all and slightly squeaked under me as I moved. I glanced at my cell phone and saw that it was 2:37 am. I groaned and Bella stirred. I held my breath, ready to dart out the door if she showed any signs of waking up.

Her dream seemed to have changed. She mumbled about bunny rabbits now and tried to roll over. Her leg was still suspended from the ceiling in the cradle and it stopped her body from rolling over completely. She let out a frustrated sigh.

She was silent for a few hours and I twisted on the chair again. I had no pillow or blanket because Emmett had refused to answer his cell phone while on his date. Knowing Emmett I was glad he didn't end up accidentally answering it or accidentally calling someone during the activities.

I jerked awake again, unsure of what woke me. Everything seemed fine as I scanned the room. Bella was back to being completely on her back.

"No, stay, please… Don't leave yet…" She was back to talking again, but it was lower this time, almost a whisper. That wasn't what woke me, was it? My cell phone said it was now 6:15 am, and I knew that they would be around soon to take care of Bella. I needed to be gone before she was awake; out of the room even if Emmett didn't come to get me yet. I stood up to leave, but Bella's next words stopped me.

"Stay…Edward, stay, please… Why do you have to leave so soon?... Thought you…wanted…to be…friends…" I stifled my gasp. I walked over to her bed and just stared at her. She had woken me up because she'd said my name. My _real_ name. Not Richard Masen, Edward.

Her dark hair was splayed across her pillow, a result of her trying to get comfortable in her awkward position. Her face was smoothed out, none of the irritation present that I had become so familiar with in the few hours I had spent with her. Pain slightly twisted it now, as she spoke my name again and asked me to stay with her. I had never heard her say my name before.

I realized then how beautiful she really was. Relaxed and peaceful, untroubled by me or anything else. Just the longing for me to stay. I really wished I could. I had been asked by several women to stay with them over the years, and I had never once wanted to say yes. Not before Isabella Swan.

This made it easier to stick around, to deal with her sarcasm and hatred. At least now that I knew it was only masking something else. She wanted to be my friend.

And I wanted to be hers.

After dealing with Emmett's goofball grin all day, it was a relief to return to the hospital. This time Bella was asleep when I got there. I had a pillow and blanket and other supplies with me and was prepared for another restless night. I said hello to the nurses as I passed them.

I settled in the recliner, ready for the show, hoping that maybe I'd get some sleep tonight. Last night had been entertaining, but I hadn't yet recovered since Emmett wouldn't let me sleep today.

I guess I must have actually fallen asleep this time, listening to Bella's mumbles, because next thing I knew, her sweet voice choked out

"Stupid sunlight." It was thick with sleep and barely a mumble, but it woke me up. I had let the time slip away and hadn't been able to leave before she woke up.

Alice would probably kill me, but if I was going to try to be Bella's friend, a prospect that was sounding better and better all the time, then I had to start somewhere. So I spoke to her.

"I'll close the curtains." I got up guickly and pulled the curtains closed and looked down at her. She glared at me, but I knew her secret now.

"Why are you here?" I couldn't stop a small smile from breaking out on my face.

"Because we didn't want you to stay all night alone. I stayed last night too, but I left before you woke up. Man, you snore so loud," I teased, wanting to let her know I had heard her speak, not snore.

"Shut up, I do not snore. Talk, maybe. Snore, no." Nope, no snores. Yep, talking. I sat down in the recliner, sad that I couldn't see her as well anymore. She remained laying down on the bed.

"I thought I'd never get to sleep, especially not in this thing."

"Why you? If they wanted someone to stay this badly, why you?" I shrugged, not really knowing how to answer her without upsetting her.

"I volunteered. We all figured you would be asleep the entire time anyway." I smiled again.

"Oh, okay. Well, your guilt should be taken care of by now. That's three good deeds. I accept your apology, with no buts. You can get back to your reason for being at our hotel, and leave me alone." Okay, now I was kind of ticked off. All of this was just "good deeds" to her? Was that what her problem was? That she thought I was just trying to get rid of my guilt? Did she _really_ think that of me? I had to find out.

I grabbed the bed remote from the table beside my chair and pushed the button to lift her bed, pushing her upper body up into a sitting position. She flinched when she locked eyes with me and then looked away.

"So, is that really what you think I'm doing? Do you really think I'm _that_ type of guy? You don't know me very well, do you?"

"I don't know you at all, and I don't claim to. But Forks is a long way from Hollywood. I have no other clue why you have done all you've done for me. But I do know it can't be because you want to be friends. Especially not after I've been so rude to you." She breathed in deeply and paused. The slight look of pain from her sleep talking the night before was back on her face. She still avoided my eyes.

So that was it. It all came down to the fact that I was a movie star. She seemed confused about why I was practically stalking her, so she'd chalked it up to me feeling guilty for bothering her and making her hurt herself. I did feel guilty, but that's not what drew me to her.

She bit her lip and continued in a monotone voice.

"So, I'm trying to let you know that I accept your apology. Thank you very much, for everything. I'll be off work for at least six weeks, so I won't be at the hotel to trouble you for the rest of your stay." The pain on her face deepened. Six weeks? She would be off for six whole weeks? And I wouldn't get to see her for any of that?

She thought she was trouble. Maybe she was. My life did seem to have been turned upside down because of her. But I was thinking that maybe it was trouble I wanted. I still had to decode her and figure out what made her so different from every other girl who knew who I was. No giggling. No flirting. No bending over backwards to grant my every request.

I stared at Bella, trying to keep her looking at me so I could try to read what she was really thinking. She kept glancing at me and looking away, blushing slightly.

"Oh. Okay. I see now. That _is _how you really see me." At least, that's all she was going to tell me. Her sleep talking had given her away, though, so I knew better. Maybe it was subconsciously, or maybe she was trying to hold back something even if she wanted to move forward. Either way, I would go along with her for now, act like I hadn't even heard her.

"Well, it's 6am and the doctor won't be here until about 8, so go back to sleep." The nurses had told me that was the normal routine for the doctor's rounds.

"I'm awake now. Even with the curtains closed I couldn't go back to sleep. I went to bed too early." Okay, well if she already knew I was here, I could just go back to sleep myself.

"Well, I am going back to sleep. You can't snore" or talk "if you're awake." I smiled at her and went to stretch out on the recliner.

BPOV

I really wanted to throw something at his smirking face. But I restrained myself. With my luck he'd end up getting hurt badly, maybe falling over on the chair and then _I'd_ end up having to do good deeds to apologize to _him_.

"Can you hand me my laptop first?" He brought it to me without comment and lay back down on the recliner.

By the time my laptop was warmed up, he was the one snoring. I laughed to myself. He was definitely hearing about this one.

I let him sleep even when the doctor came in. His snoring was loud, but they were becoming quieter as he slipped further into a restless sleep. The doctor laughed with me.

"The second night in those things is usually better than the first," he winked at me. So even the doctor knew he'd been there two nights.

"Alright, everything looks good. I've signed off on your discharge papers so when you're ready to leave, let the nurse know. Try to leave before 3, though, or else they'll charge you for another night's stay."

"Great! Thanks, Doc!" Oh, wow. I could go home! Now, I just had to wait until my parents came to get me. I looked over at Edward and stifled a gasp.

He was even beautiful sleeping. Why, God, did you put this man in my life? This infuriating, rude, conceited, troublesome man?

At 10 Edward was back to snoring loudly. One especially loud one startled him awake. He sat up, his face startled at what had woken him up. I couldn't hold in the laughter anymore. He was confused at my laughter, which made me laugh even harder.

"What?" he finally asked.

"You complained about _my_ snoring? Did you know _you_ snore? And you even woke yourself up!" I gasped out around my laughter. His expression changed again, and this time he was the one blushing.

That cracked me up again and I was laughing harder. Until the pulley holding up my leg slipped out and sent my leg crashing down, catching the outer metal rod on the bed rail.

"Ow!" I yelled and froze in pain. Edward jumped up and pressed the nurse's call button. A nurse came running in, probably having heard my yell. Edward told her what happened and she went to find the doctor. Meanwhile, the pain was easing, though still there. Edward grabbed my hand, trying to comfort me and an electric shock went through my entire body. This was more intense than when he'd held up my ankle.

I couldn't take it, so I handed him my laptop so he could get it out of the way. He put it up in my case and started to come back to me, but the doctor walked in before he could take my hand. The doctor examined the cast to find any cracks.

"Lets get you down to x-ray just to be sure the bones weren't jarred and are still set. I think everything should be fine, but I want to be sure."

"Oh man, I want to go home," I whined.

"I'm sure it's okay, Miss Swan."

It was okay. The crash had not damaged anything that was set, and I was sent back to my room. Edward was still there, and no one else was. I wondered where my parents were. It was late and they hadn't even called to see if I could leave today.

"So, your release papers are signed?"

"Yeah, as soon as my parents get here I can leave."

"In that case, let's go now. I'm taking you home for them. Good deed number four." He smiled a crooked smile, one side pulled up further than the other. It was the most genuine smile I'd seen on his face since I'd met him.

I could guess why he had tons of giggling, flirting, female fans. They were obsessed with beautiful people.


	9. Chapter 9

**A/N: Alright readers, I need your help with something. I am working on a new story and I need your help with some ideas. Of course **_**Changing Prejudices**_** will be priority, but this idea will not leave me alone. It's even exerting itself before my other story **_**Ship Wrecked. **_**My question is this:**

**What is some quality about you that is simple and random that has surprised a guy before?**

**Example: In **_**Twilight**_**, Edward is shocked at Bella's taste in music—Debussy and Linkin Park (the CD that is not specifically named in the book when Edward asks what is in her CD player). **

**Example: I have a credit card with the painting **_**Starry Night**_** by Van Gogh as the background. I used it at a bookstore and the guy at the register was very loud about how impressed he was by that. He was also impressed by one of the books that I was buying. His words were "You're just impressing me all over the place tonight!" **

**That's the kinds of things I need. Random, simple, silly little quirks and preferences that impress guys. I need random things that have amazed/ shocked many different types of guys. So, please help me by PM or review. Thanks in advance.**

**Now on to Chapter 9 of **_**Changing Prejudices**_

**Disclaimer: All **_**Twilight**_** characters belong to Stephenie Meyer.**

Chapter 9

BPOV

I was so glad that Renee and Alice had helped me put on real clothes instead of the embarrassing paper gown. I buzzed for the nurse who brought in my discharge papers and instructions. I had three prescriptions and a pair of crutches. Oh God.

My lap was full, as were Edward's arms, as a candy striper wheeled my wheelchair out of the hospital doors. I wished I had a disguise like Edward's glasses and hat. I figured that few people would really be surprised by a person in a wheelchair in a _hospital_, but my imagination ran wild when I realized that I was in one with Edward Cullen walking beside me.

Even with the disguise he was getting stares. I studied him from the corner of my eye. He'd obviously spoken to Alice, Rose, and my parents. Did that mean Alice had forgiven him? Or had she and Rose not realized he was Richard Masen in their worry over me? If they knew who he was, then why had they allowed him to be there, and if they didn't know who he was, then why had they allowed him to be there?

Either way, my brain was snarling into a confused mass of thoughts. I didn't really want to be rude again and ask Edward straight out, but there was no telling how long it would be before I had the opportunity to speak with Alice and Rose alone. There were bound to be people all over my apartment when Alice was home.

When the nurse left me to return to cleaning up after other patients, Edward ran to get his car. It was the Volvo. I cringed. No one in Forks had a Volvo.

For someone wanting to hide, a very expensive car is not the way to go. I carefully, but awkwardly, slid into the front seat as Edward put my stuff in the trunk. He gracefully sat in the driver's seat and started the car. He pulled out of the parking lot, miraculously heading in the right direction. He seemed to suddenly remember he didn't know where we were going.

"Um, where to?"

"Just head back to the hotel. I'll tell you where to go when we get closer." I called the pharmacy close to my apartment. I was grateful that they were open for a few hours on Sundays, and told them what I needed. They said they'd have it ready for whoever came to get them. I needed to find someone to go get them for me, since I couldn't drive and my truck was still at the hotel.

I gave him directions when needed, but we didn't really talk much other than that. I wondered if maybe he'd finally accepted my request to leave me alone. Would this be the last time I saw him? That brought on a strange panic and I could feel my heart rate increase. This was strange, the way my body reacted to the thoughts that I would go for periods of time without seeing him.

I felt a desperation to talk, to get to know the real Edward. But there was also the desperation to keep him away. When he left it would be easier on me if I never knew any more about him than the little I'd read on the internet. Three weeks, no two and a half, and he would be gone. That's all the time we could be friends, if we were to be friends.

I remembered that I'd read a lot about him online since I had first learned that my favorite book would be made into a movie. The trivial facts that were stated online intrigued me at the time. Musical, thoughtful, athletic, great actor. Those were the few things I knew about him. Oh, and there was also all the articles that always follow actors—those about his many lovers. They never lasted long, and it was never very long before another girl escorted him to this bar or that party or tomorrow's premier.

He really seemed a lot like the character he played in that movie, except for the womanizing. In reality, he'd proven to be arrogant and a typical demanding star. But then, he'd thrown in a wrench by his attempts at apologizing and the good deeds. So, who was he? Did I really want to know?

I pulled out of my thoughts by Edward's forlorn statement.

"Three stories," he stated. We'd arrived at my apartment building.

"Yep."

"And I guess you're on the third floor?"

"Yeah."

"Of course." He made no move to get out of the car; instead he sat staring out of the windshield up to the third floor. The direction he was staring in could have been pointed right at my bedroom balcony.

I didn't want it to seem as if I expected anymore help, so I opened my door and reached for my crutches in the backseat. Edward twisted around and put his hand on my arm to stop me. Whoa, static shock. At least, that's how I was explaining what happened when he touched me. Must be the hat he always wore.

"What are you doing?" He almost growled.

"Getting out?" I answered with a hesitant question.

"I think we need to get your medicine first."

"You don't have to-."

"Good deed number five. Plus, there's no elevator, so you'll have to climb the two flights of stairs. You will be hurting by the time you get up there, even with me helping. Where's the pharmacy?"

"But it's on the other side of town. That's a lot of time and gas."

"Bella, that's enough already. Just let me help you. No one will be over for a little while, and it will be a long time before anyone can go get your medicine. The pharmacy will be closed by then, anyway," he said, not even trying to hide his aggravation.

"Fine," I whined, and gave him directions to the pharmacy. He replaced his hat and sunglasses before he went into the pharmacy. I was really going to have to explain to him the futility of that particular disguise, as fond as he seemed of it.

As I waiting for him to come back out, I started to feel the throbbing of my ankle. It had been a couple of hours since my last pain medicine and I had been in the car for about an hour and a half. The blood was pumping through my leg and causing it to throb. The pain spiked and I knew I was more pale than usual when Edward returned to the car.

"Is it starting to hurt?" he asked. Duh, I really wanted to say. But my teeth were clinched too tightly together.

"Here. I figured it would hurt soon," he said, handing me a pack of crackers and the bag of pain meds. He realized I would have to have something in my empty stomach before I took the medicine. Wow. Considerate. He was paying attention.

My cell phone rang as we parked back at my apartment.

EPOV

She answered her phone, and I was grateful for a few more minutes delay. I figured she was not going to take the medicine any time soon since she had put the crackers in the prescription bag. I needed the delay to prepare myself to help her, and maybe to delay the pain I knew she was going to be in soon. Why did she have to be so stubborn as to not even try to make it easier on herself? Did she not care that she would be hurting worse if she didn't take it soon?

"Hi Mom…. Yeah. He took me to get my prescriptions…. We're here now.… Okay, that's fine. I should be okay. I was trying to wait to take the medication knowing I'd get sleepy…. No, I wanted to get settled first… Yes, he did, actually, but I wanted to get settled first. It will be hard enough for me to walk up two flights of stairs without being mentally incapacitated….Yes, he did try to make me, but I am 26, older than him. I vetoed his orders." She's three years older than me. I'd forgotten that. She seemed so fragile and young sometimes. Like she needed someone to watch out for her. At least she did until she opened her mouth.

"Okay Mom, see you in a few." She hung up and sighed. I just shook my head.

"What?" she asked.

"You are stubborn."

"Maybe, but I am used to taking care of myself. I know what to do. No one else can tell me because—." She paused, her face flushing with anger, maybe? I wondered how long she'd had to take care of herself, and if she realized how frail she really was. I suddenly really wanted her to finish that sentence. If we were going to be friends, then I needed to know more about her.

"Because?" I prompted her.

"Never mind."

"No, I want to know. Go ahead." She didn't say anything more. I tried my special persuasive smile on her, hopefully my charm worked on her this time. "Please?" She answered, although it seemed as though she'd been able to resist my charm. When had that ever happened before? Never, I was sure of it.

"Fine. No one has the right to order me around because they haven't really taken care of me since I knew what was going on. I've taken care of myself, worried about myself, and been strong for myself, alone, since I was nine. Probably before then, too." She finished, breathing heavily after spitting that all out in a rush. "I've also taken care of _them_ for most of my life."

It seemed like she was implying something more than she was saying. I thought over how protective Alice especially had been towards her. How her parents had looked when they rushed into the emergency waiting room. The flash of worry in Rosalie's eyes when I had left to take Bella's stuff to her at the hospital. I also thought about how clumsy she was and how she just seemed to scream for someone to take care of her. As if her body knew she needed protection but her brain had stifled her heart to keep that secret.

She'd said it all so straightforward, as if it was something she'd accepted long ago. Her chin jutted out stubbornly, and it almost made me laugh. I had to contradict her though. Did she not see how much the people around her loved her?

"Your family and friends care a lot about you," I told her quietly.

"I know. But they don't really _take_ care of me. I usually don't argue about their advice, but if they knew just how little I actually followed it…. I don't want to hurt them."

I really wanted to see into her head. What did she see when she looked at the world? When she looked at how her friends and family treated her? I had gathered that her mother was a little overbearing, but easily influenced and scatterbrained. She had a slightly bewildered look about her that made it seem like she wasn't used to having to take control of anything. She'd given in so easily when Alice had suggested a complete stranger stay with her daughter overnight in the hospital.

Her father had pretty much stayed in the background and let the others decide what would go on with Bella.

I could see what she meant about her parents. But not her friends. Alice and Rosalie didn't seem like they needed anyone to take care of them. Rosalie had certainly been able to handle Emmett. I'd gathered that by his stupid grin and leading remarks all day after their date.

I had practically begged them to let me bring Bella home today so I could delay spending any more time with Emmett. His girl toy for the trip was just what he needed right now. I just wished he'd keep that to himself.

I tried to sum up what she was saying, what she believed to be true.

"So you hurt yourself to keep them from seeing how much you're hurting." She didn't say anything and didn't look at me. She blushed. She didn't like that I'd dug deep.

"Okay, well, let's go. I need to eat and get these drugs in me." She opened the door and was out of the car before I could protest. I jumped out and ran over to help her. I stood behind her as she situated herself on the crutches. She welded them awkwardly but also like she'd used them before. I wondered about her past medical history.

I grabbed her prescription bag and followed her to the stairwell.

"You probably ought to go first. I know I'll be slow."

"No, I'll go behind you in case you fall." She blushed and began the slow ascent.

**A/N: Sorry so short. I wanted to get it up though, and I will post the next chapter tomorrow, well technically it is already Tuesday. So, you'll get two chapters in one day. I just really need to go to sleep, but really needed to get this typed up and posted. Hope you enjoyed this, small though it was.**


	10. Chapter 10

**A/N: Alright readers, I still need your help. I am working on a new story and I need your help with some ideas. Of course **_**Changing Prejudices**_** will be priority, but this idea will not leave me alone. It's even exerting itself before my other story _Ship Wrecked. _Thanks to RebeccaMarieCullen and goldeneyesx who gave great suggestions, but I need a LOT of suggestions to use. ****My question is this:**

**What is some quality about you that is simple and random that has surprised a guy before?**

**Example: In **_**Twilight**_**, Edward is shocked at Bella's taste in music—Debussy and Linkin Park (the CD that is not specifically named in the book when Edward asks what is in her CD player). **

**Example: I have a credit card with the painting **_**Starry Night**_** by Van Gogh as the background. I used it at a bookstore and the guy at the register was very loud about how impressed he was by that. He was also impressed by one of the books that I was buying. His words were "You're just impressing me all over the place tonight!" **

**That's the kinds of things I need. Random, simple, silly little quirks and preferences that impress guys. I need random things that have amazed/ shocked many different types of guys. So, please help me by PM or review. Thanks in advance.**

**Disclaimer: All **_**Twilight**_** characters belong to Stephenie Meyer.**

Chapter 10

BPOV

It took forever with as slow as I had to go. Edward never seemed to mind, though. I never heard one sound from him until we reached the third floor. Then he let out a small sigh of relief. I guess he didn't enjoy staring at my butt for twenty-six stairs. Oh, no. That's what he'd done for the past thirty minutes. He'd had to stare at my butt! I blushed like crazy and couldn't answer his question.

"Which apartment is yours?" I could only point and blush more. I knew that the second I opened my mouth I would blurt out an apology for the past thirty minutes, and I didn't know if that was something I should apologize for. Surely he _knew_ with me going before him…wait, unless he _wanted_ me to go first for that reason? No. I would just have to leave it at that he wanted to make sure I got up the stairs safely. I tried to put it out of my mind.

He took my keys and opened the door to #308, home sweet home for Alice and I for the past two years. I was ecstatic that it looked so clean and grown up.

I crutched over to our couch, a tan microfiber sectional that made it impossible to have any other seating. It was closer to the door than my bed and I figured I should be out here Renee brought everyone over. She didn't really want to surprise me after just coming home from the hospital.

"A lot of people are coming over," I told Edward once I was settled in comfortably. "I know some of them will recognize you and some of them will not be able to remain as calm as I am about you." He nodded that he understood and left to get the rest of my stuff from his trunk.

I took advantage of his absence to practice a little with the crutches. I had used them before, but it was always good to practice before really letting loose on them. I tried to make it to the kitchen to heat up a HotPocket or something, but he was actually back in the door before I reached the freezer.

"You must have been really concerned to have ran down and then up both flights of stairs," I said, trying to cover my guilt at getting caught. He had to have been running all that time because that's the only explanation for how quickly he got back. Unless I was just that slow? He was barely even breathing heavily.

"Sit back down," he ordered. "I ran because I knew you'd be stubborn and get up to get something to eat instead of waiting for me." I crutched back to the couch. His hands were full so he couldn't help me. I purposely did not tell him where to put it so he couldn't help me.

I'd just realized that we were in my apartment, alone, not in a hospital, with what could be hours before anyone else showed up. I knew my parents had church and my friends usually hung out on Sundays, relaxing before another work week began. I was suddenly nervous. I tried once again to ignore the fact he was a movie star. A gorgeous movie star. A gorgeous movie star who seemed to have some strange interest in my life and well being.

I sat down on the couch and watched him in the kitchen.

"I'm sure Renee will have food plans, but I was just really hungry. The pain might be a little too much to wait for them, after all." He set a plate with two HotPockets on it on my lap and made me eat both.

He sat in a kitchen chair, a safe distance away from me. I ate slowly because I really didn't know what to talk about. I had only spoken to him when I was angry or the time that he'd been trying to distract me on the way to the hospital. Could we have a civilized conversation?

"So, you said you were used to using crutches. Does that mean you've been in the hospital a lot?"

"Yeah, it kind of goes with the personality trait of klutziness. I've had worse, but it's been a while. A few laps around the living room should get me back into it. What about you? You been in the hospital much? I guess they try to hide any hospital stays that celebrities do. Except for maybe rehab." I laughed.

"Well, not recently, but I was a typical little boy. Stitches, sprains, one or two broken bones. When I would fall down I used to wish that I had broken a bone. Getting pretty girls to sign casts was the best." He smirked at me. I had my mouth full, swallowed, and quickly stuffed another bite in. The way he was looking at me when he mentioned "pretty girls" made me slightly wary and made me want to blush.

"Speaking of signing casts…I need some permanent markers, a piece of paper, scissors, and tape," he said after a pause. He wasn't going to answer my questioning look, so I told him.

"My bedroom is at the end of the hall. Markers are in the lap drawer, paper in the printer, and scissors and tape on top of the desk." He left and came back with his supplies. He finally answered my confused look when he returned.

"I won't get finished with this today, and I don't want you to see what I am doing until it is finished."

Oh. So he was planning on coming back again? I had told him to leave me alone. I had been rude so many times to him, and he was still coming back for more? What in the heck was going on here? I had given him a way out if he wanted it. But here he was, starting something that would take at least two days to complete.

"Alright, now, I want to do this so you can see it from your perspective. This may be awkward for you, but I'm left-handed so it'll be a little better than if I was right-handed. Okay? Now, move over so I can sit next to you on the couch."

"Uh, Edward, I'm a little big for you to--." He ignored me and pushed me over anyway. I was sitting sideways on the couch with my legs propped up, and he pushed me so that he could next to me.

My cast came up to just below my knee, so he kind of leaned over me so that he could draw and his back blocked my view. God, he smelled so good. I resisted the urge to rest my hand on his back. Or run it through his beautiful, thick, bronze, messy hair. It would have helped with my balance, but not with my heart.

I tried my best to ignore him and tried to focus on the tv instead. It was somewhat difficult because not only was a man in my space, but he was way too gorgeous and smelled way too good. I was not used to men being so close. My little circle of personal space made me sit far away from most people anyway.

He was silent as the markers scratched across my cast. I couldn't even tell what colors he was using so I had no clue what he was drawing. He stopped suddenly and covered my eyes.

"What—hey!"

"No peeking! I have to cover it up before everyone gets here."

"Okay, I won't peek. You can move your hand now. I promise I won't even look down from the ceiling." He moved his hand, and I kept my eyes on the ceiling as promised. I felt his eyes on me, trying to make sure I kept my word.

I felt him turn away from me to cut up the paper and tape it on. Edward put on three or four layers before he was satisfied that nothing could be seen through the paper. He'd just finished and set the stuff down on the coffee table when a key turned in the door. He jumped up and stepped away from me and walked towards the desk next to the hallway door.

Rosalie and Alice walked in, followed shortly by Renee.

"Richard. Good, you're still here. Do you want to stay for dinner? We're having a few people over later. Most of them canceled on us. I think they did it to let Bella rest some." Edward turned his back and somehow his disguise was suddenly on. Alice gave him a hard searching look, but didn't say anything.

Before the slight pause was over, someone else came through the door.

"I, however, had to come now." A tall, brown-skinned person ducked through my door.

"Jake! What are you doing here?" I squealed. I hadn't seen him in months because he was working on his Master's degree in mechanical engineering at Oregon State University six hours away. I almost jumped up to hug him, but the cast's weight reminded me that was not the best idea.

"I heard you broke your leg. It's summer break for me right now and I took some vacation time from work." He walked over and hugged me.

"How long?"

"A week."

"Good! Hey, 'Richard', where are you going?" Edward had been inching closer and closer to the door, hoping to get out without any attention. Even with as wrapped up in Jacob Black as I was, I was still aware of Edward's presence in the room.

"I really need to go. I'm sure my friends are waiting for me. We had plans for tonight. I'm sorry I can't stay for dinner, but maybe some other time," he said, looking at Renee. I knew he should leave before anyone else arrived who might recognize him. But I didn't want him to leave without saying something.

"Okay, well, Richard, um, maybe next time. Thanks again for putting yourself out to bring Bella home and stay with her at the hospital," Renee said. Alice gave her a look to let her know she'd let it slip that Edward had stayed with me in the hospital. But then, how did they expect to hide it when he was there when I woke up and took me home?

Alice came to my side and pushed me over again and sat in Edward's spot.

"Did Richard sign your cast?" She asked, noting the markers and supplies on the coffee table. She looked at the cast that was still all white.

"He got these out, right? Oh, was he drawing here?" She finally noticed the covered area.

"Yeah, but he said he wasn't finished, and he didn't want me to see it until it was."

"Who is he?" Jacob asked.

"A guest at the Meadow. It's kind of his fault she broke her ankle," Rose explained, sitting on the couch at my feet.

"Oh yeah?" Jake asked, looking me in the eyes.

"Well, only a little," I hedged. I was the only one who knew the whole story, and I really didn't want anyone thinking worse about Edward than was true.

"A little?!" Alice squeaked. "Bella was very much insulted and pit out by Richard, a very demanding guest."

"But he's trying to be nice now, apparently," Rose added.

"Rosalie," I said and playfully kicked her.

"So, how did he contribute to your accident?" Jacob asked me again.

"He just really made me irritated and I saw him in the gym Friday morning. I wanted to ignore him and tune him out and I had my iPod up way too loud."

"She tuned him out so well I startled her when I touched her and she went flying off the treadmill." I flinched remembering as Alice spoke.

"He's doing good deeds to make up for it," Rose said. "How many is he planning?" she asked me.

"I don't know. I let him know I accepted his apology, to forget it, but he's up to five now." Jacob just looked down at the covered spot on my cast with an unhappy look on his face. It was uncomfortable because it seemed as though he was analyzing how Edward had sat to draw where he drew.

I didn't take my medicine, and no one realized that I hadn't had it. My ankle wasn't hurting as much now that it had been propped up a while.

Renee and Rose fixed dinner and a few of my friends showed up. We all ate around the couch and coffee table, but soon enough my ankle reminded me that it was broken. I was no longer able to ignore it when it got around to nine hours since my last pain medicine.

"Mom, can you hand me the prescription bag on the desk?" I tried to whisper into her ear because I didn't want to break up the party and have everyone leave. Jake heard me, though, and pointed it out.

"Okay, guys, it's time to go. Bells needs her rest and medication. Renee, I'll stay and help clean this up, you go on home."

"Yeah, we can handle this and Bella too," Alice added. I was amazed at how proficiently and quickly Rose and Alice cleared the room after that. And then how quickly I felt the effects of the pain medicine. I wasn't drifting off yet, but the pain was subsiding.

I lay on the couch a few minutes, listening to Jacob and Alice goofing off in the kitchen as they cleaned up. Last week, that would have made me feel insecure and jealous. I really liked Jacob, and had for many years.

In spite of Alice's strong feelings for Jasper, I always felt jealous of how close they were. Alice had assured me many times that there would never be anything past friendship between her and Jacob because they were literally like brother and sister. But I had wanted to be that close with him.

Now, however, their closeness brought nothing but a smile. No feelings of jealousy. Well, maybe a little, but definitely not as much as the last time I saw them together like this.

All of a sudden, I was lifted up off the couch. I was slightly aware that it was Jacob carrying me and that he was actually strong enough to carry me. I realized I'd fallen asleep.

He set me in my bed and I rolled over. I didn't remember anything else because I was asleep.


	11. Chapter 11

**A/N: Thanks to Edwardluvermonkey52, ElenCullen, and Ace Ryn Knight for their added suggestions for my new story. If anyone else comes up with anything, please still let me know. I still need more random, simple, silly things about girls that have shocked guys. **

**Thanks so much for liking my story!!**

**Disclaimer: All **_**Twilight**_** characters belong to Stephenie Meyer**

Chapter 11

BPOV

Once again, I woke up to a buzzing going on somewhere in my apartment. As I tried to gain consciousness, I randomly remembered last time and hoped this one didn't lead to something as unpleasant as that conversation. There was a dull ache left over from the pain medicine and I tried to fight past it. I was vaguely aware of being on my stomach and wanting to be on my side like I usually slept. I guess the rods sticking out of my leg had made that impossible.

The buzzing stopped. I was grateful because I wasn't quite awake and wanted to go back to sleep. I was sure that there had to be some reason for the buzzing and that maybe it was supposed to wake me up, especially since it started again.

It eventually stopped but then my phone rang. Stupid Bella, you should have put that on silent like usual. I jerked myself further awake and answered it.

"Hello?"

"Are you not awake yet?" A slightly annoyed yet amused voice responded.

"Um, not all the way," I answered.

"Bella, it's 11am, wake up." The knowledge of the time of day woke me fully enough to realize Edward was on the phone. My home phone.

"Um, how did you get my home number?"

"Wake up and let me in, Bella." He ignored my question. Never mind. Maybe I didn't want to know how he did everything he seemed to be able to do. So, the buzzing this time was the front door. Huh. Maybe I should learn the differences so I could tell my cell phone from the front door in my sleep.

"Um, just pull the number plate off. There's a key inside it. Come on it, it's gonna be a few minutes before I'm fully conscious,"

"Uh-um-alright," he stuttered.

I rolled over on my back as I heard the front door open and close. There was a knock on my bedroom door and it hesitantly opened. I grabbed my covers up to my chin and glared around my room, daring for anything to be out of place. Nothing defied me.

"Edward, good morning, it's okay." He came in and stood just on this side of short hallway into my room.

"That must be some pain medicine you got."

"No, yesterday was just a long day. Pain meds don't usually make me this sleepy. What are you doing here so early?" I almost asked him rudely what he was doing there at all, but added 'so early' at the last minute. Maybe that sounded more polite. I hoped.

"Good deed number six. You need to stay off that ankle and since you won't accept help from anyone, I'm here to force my help on you. So, I guess it's brunch first." He said and then walked back out and closed my door. I grabbed my crutches and went to my bathroom.

I thought about what to wear as I brushed my teeth. Shorts would be easiest because of my cast, but I felt very awkward in shorts in public and this was not just any public. Not that I really thought not wearing shorts would have any effect on our friendship, but Edward Cullen was probably used to seeing model legs in all their thinness. And I did not want him going back to Hollywood with more embarrassing stories of his trip involving me.

I chose pajama pants. Comfortable all around and good if I stayed home all day. Which was inevitable.

I crutched out to the living room and took my spot on the sectional. From my vantage point I could see Edward in the kitchen, my front door, and the TV. Even if Edward got on my nerves and confused the crap out of me, he was still very, extremely worth being able to see. Oh God. Is this in his plan? To wear me down until I cave in and like him? Is his goal on this trip to get me to fall for him? And then he can go back to all his friends in LA and laugh about the poor small town girl that fell for him and was so pitiful when he left.

Not going to be me. I've been pathetic and pitiful over guys before (actually about Jacob quite recently) and I was not going to fall for a movie star who was obviously just playing a game. Jerk.

"Here you are; brunch." Edward set a paper plate on my lap and a glass of water on the coffee table. Oh my gosh. He fixed me a BLT. Can he cook? Or did he buy this at a store on the way over? Because GPSs now a days have programs in them that show you where restaurants are.

But how can a restaurant make something that tastes so homemade? And really, how can I complain about anyone that brings me brunch? BLTs are my favorites after all.

He sat at my feet and turned on the TV as I was enjoying my first bite.

"What do you usually watch?" He asked.

"I don't usually watch TV except for evenings before work with Alice. Even then we're talking more than we are watching."

"Yeah, I have one or two shows I try to catch, but rarely have the time. I barely have time to relax between scenes and even between movies."

I kind of feel sorry for him again. What kind of a life is it to always be on 24/7 and never have down time? That's the feelings that caused me to keep my mouth shut when those teenagers wanted to know if he was at my hotel.

"Help yourself. Watch what you want." There was a cop show on the channel already on, and that's where he left it. I guessed that Jacob had gained control of the remote sometime last night because Alice and I never turned it to _Spike TV_, not really ever being in the mood to watch typical guy shows.

Edward had made him a BLT as well and we ate in silence for a while. I still had a ton of questions.

Edward Cullen was a movie star, born in England, and living in Hollywood. He'd been in four hugely popular movies and a few more that had been less successful. It was hard to believe, still, that he was sitting in my living room, in Forks, WA, eating a BLT, and watching TV.

I fought back my awe over the situation and kept my questions to myself. He had to be used to being fawned all over by female fans and I was determined to treat him just like any regular guy. He was, really. I caught a whiff of bacon grease from the kitchen. He could cook bacon, slice tomatoes, and peel off lettuce onto toasted bread. And he put the perfect amount of mayonnaise on said toasted bread.

Maybe he was just trying to relax and be friends with a girl who wasn't head over heels for him for a change. Someone without blonde hair with a bubblegum pink name. You see it all the time; people making friends on short trips or at summer camps only to never see the person again. It makes the time more pleasant and go by faster. Who could blame him for wanting to hang out with someone other than that big scary Emmett guy?

Who, by the way, seems to have disappeared. I thought he was Edward's bodyguard or something?

I was starting to feel uncomfortable for many reasons. First I was aware that I had been sitting in one position for too long and needed to move. Then I was aware that Edward was too close, having sat on the couch at the end of my feet. I was made aware of this with the knowledge of the most embarrassing reason for being uncomfortable.

My position was such that I was facing Edward. And in my musings over the reasons for him being here, I had been staring at him that whole time. He was engrossed in the car chase on TV, but he had to feel my eyes on him for so long. And God only knows the expressions that had gone across my face. That was not something I'd ever been able to hide. I, of course, blushed.

A change of position was definitely needed. Did he just smirk at me from the corner of his mouth? A change was desperately needed.

I picked up my leg and moved it to prop it on the coffee table so that I now faced the TV and not Edward's definitely smirking profile. When I moved, he shifted a little closer, but stayed a comfortable distance away. Neither of us said anything and the only noises were from the TV and our crunching our sandwiches.

The silence stretched and slowly, very slowly, became awkward. As I thought of each question and stifled it, I could feel my blush deepen. Edward sat, calmly eating and watching TV, but I started fidgeting. I tried to keep my eyes on the TV, but they kept betraying me by going over to Edward's profile.

When I finished eating, my nervousness only got worse. I no longer had anything to do with my hands and my leg was starting to go numb from being propped up. I glanced at the clock. 11:45. Oh my gosh how time goes slow!

I eased my throbbing ankle to the floor and stood up. That got a reaction out of Edward that wasn't a stupid smirk.

"What are you doing?"

"I need to stretch; I don't like sitting still in one position for so long. Plus, now that I've eaten I need my meds and they are over there," I said, pointing to the desk.

"No you don't. I'll get them, you just sit right back down there."

I didn't want to sit, but it felt awkward to just stand there as he handed me the meds. I didn't take the pain medicine because I wasn't really hurting and didn't want it to possibly make me sleepy again. I wanted to stay awake and see where this was going. To see if Edward really would try to be my friend or if he was still trying to make sure I had forgiven him.

I sat back down, but this time I stretched out on the couch. It really was more comfortable that way, except if I wanted to see the TV.

My thoughts drifted to their favorite topic when we weren't talking. What was Edward thinking? This couldn't be very fun for him. I wasn't beautiful and flirty or talkative. Whatever his reason for being in Washington had to have been interrupted by all this, yet he wasn't acting resentful at all. In fact, he was actually going to pains to hang out with me. He'd gone to the trouble of getting both of my numbers and he'd stayed with me in the hospital.

Edward lay down on the other side of the sectional, making himself at home. He propped his head up on pillows so he could still watch TV. I stretched out further, too. CSI: Las Vegas came on TV and Edward didn't change the channel. I kind of liked this show too. You could watch the reruns out of order and rarely be lost with the subplots of the murder solving.

He sighed, and I sat up to see him better. He looked at me at the sound of my movement, probably afraid I'd try to get up again. He answered my questioning look.

"It's really great. The slower, more laid-back pace here. No paparazzi. No screaming girls."

"At least not right in your face," I said, reminding him of Melissa and her friends from the lobby. He grinned in remembrance.

"No demands for my autograph. No one to kiss up to and no one trying to kiss up to me. I've even managed to ditch Jessica, my assistant. I don't have to be with or talk to anyone unless I want to do so." He sighed in contentment again.

"Is that why you're here in Forks?"

"Part of it. I needed a vacation before the release parties for my new movie and before we start filming the third movie in that series. Jessica chose Forks as a kind of punishment. I felt bad for her and let her chose the place. I just wanted somewhere away from a big city."

"Punishment? For feeling sorry for her?"

"No," he sighed, reluctant to continue. "She's a great assistant, in a lot of ways. But that's all I think of her as, but she wanted more."

"Ah," I said, knowing now part of Jessica's excitement over the phone when she'd booked the rooms and her sullenness when they checked in.

"She booked here to try to get me to see how great she was when there was a lack of any other women."

"You got the last three empty rooms. She called just in time. Minutes later we got another call and had to turn them down."

"This trip has been so lucky." I looked at him like his head was spinning around.

"Lucky?" I snorted sarcastically, looking away from him. It was easy to talk about this, lying down and looking at the TV and not his emerald eyes. "Lucky? You didn't have the Jacuzzi you wanted, I was very rude to you, and you spent two nights in a very uncomfortable faux leather chair. I know they're bad because I've spent nights in them myself." I ticked the reasons off on my fingers, reminding him why this trip was so not lucky for him.

"And you feel obligated to do these good deeds because you think it is your fault I was rude and that I broke my ankle. You call that lucky?" All of a sudden, he was sitting on the floor, right in my face.

"Isabella, let me go ahead and be a little obvious, okay?"

**A/N: Don't hate me for that cliff hanger! You know I had to do it! I love you all! Should I do Edward POV next? Or do you want to hear about Alice and Jasper and Rosalie and Emmett and what has been going on with them while Bella and Edward have been flirting in the hospital?**


	12. Chapter 12

**Disclaimer: All _Twilight_ characters belong to Stephenie Meyer.**

Chapter 12

BPOV

"_Isabella, let me go ahead and be a little obvious, okay?" _Edward's face was way too close to mine, making it suddenly hard for me to breathe. There was an intense look on his face as he spoke, and I really wanted to move away. His eyes and his words held me still. He paused, and once again the silence changed very slowly.

He leaned towards me, his eyes roaming my face, never settling anywhere for very long. He moved very slowly, and I could feel the heat spread on my cheeks. His lips were centimeters away…and a stupid siren went off on the tv, causing him to practically jump back away from me.

EPOV

I really wanted to kiss her right then. I think. She was just so stubborn and frustrating and cute. Wait, cute? Did I, Edward Cullen, just think of a girl as cute? I studied her face, realizing that close up she was more beautiful than I'd originally thought. I wouldn't call her model-beautiful, but she was beautiful. Her thick hair, fanned out on the couch pillow, her deep brown eyes that were so intense.

Yes, Bella Swan was beautiful. And I really think I was going to kiss her. If it hadn't been for that stupid CSI siren. It startled me and broke me out of the trance. I finished what I was planning to say, not wanting her to know all of my real thoughts.

"This isn't about good deeds or guilt, Isabella. I am here because I like to meet new people who are genuine. My three weeks here might be very boring with just those guys and Jessica around. Even Emmett is not something I want in concentrated doses. Jessica is either trying to seduce me or acting like my mom, which is weird and disgusting, if you think about it." I shivered before going on.

"I hang out with you because I really would like a friend here. You recognized me even through my disguise, but didn't treat me special."

"I'm sorry," she tried to interrupt.

"Don't be. There was no reason for you to treat me special and I shouldn't have expected you to. I just forgot, that's all. I'm not normally a spoiled brat. Well, not all the time, at least. My success in my second movie changed me. You were like a much needed slap in the face. You keep reminding me that there is life outside of the silver screen, however difficult it may be."

She was silent for a few seconds, thinking over what I'd said. She was biting her bottom lip and my mind wondered again. Sure, the stupid siren on tv had ruined my last attempt, but she hadn't looked like it would have been a problem for her…

"You're good. I'd like to hear some songs you wrote." She laughed breathlessly. I wondered what she was saying I was good at. But wait. Songs I wrote? How did she know about that? I'd read the little blurbs and things that had been online during the craze over my breakout movie, but there'd been nothing in them about me writing songs.

She knew more about me than she'd let on! The liar. I tried to get it out of her. I laughed as if it were a ridiculous thought that I wrote songs.

"You're funny. Wrong, but funny." She blushed and reluctantly replied, as I hoped she would.

"I watched some of the video interviews on you from your movie. You have a band, and it takes you a while to write songs, but the director said you were 'musical'," and her blushed deepened. Man I really wished I knew what she was thinking. She'd surprised me yet again.

I thought she hated movie stars, but there she was, admitting to being a typical fan of me. Well, not quite typical, since she wasn't flirting and giggling. But she had put forth the effort to search online about me.

"Hmmm. So, you watched the videos? I thought you didn't know anything about me?"

"Trivial facts that obsessed teenagers want to know. I don't consider that knowing anything about you." Her blush had still not faded one bit.

"So, we can be friends?"

"Um, I guess so."

"No more 'good deeds' crap?"

"No more 'good deeds'. It stops at seven."

"Good. Now, you're in a good position for me to continue my work. You definitely won't be able to peek now." I grabbed the markers that were still on the coffee table and surveyed what her friends had written.

Someone named Jacob Black had signed quite largely and quite closely to my spot, and I growled to myself at it. Who was this character, and why did he have to do that? There were plenty of other spaces he could have chosen. Her other friends hadn't taken up that much room.

BPOV

I tried to keep my attention on tv while he drew. But it was difficult. I still felt the heat of the blush on my face and wondered if it would ever go away. I'd let it slip that at one point in time I had been a fan of his. That I had obsessively searched the internet for any little bit of trivia about him. Well, no , I guess I hadn't exactly said it that way, but I'm sure that's what he was thinking.

"How will they cut this off?" he asked.

"Down the sides and around the rods so it will come off more cleanly. In case I want to keep the smelly old thing." I laughed and Edward joined in.

As he drew, we talked about surface things, facts that old friends already knew about each other. It seemed like we were playing twenty questions, him firing questions at me at top speed.

He seemed to be rushing through surface things in a hurry to get to deeper topics. It was just like my favorite literary character, which he had played. I commented on the resemblance.

"He's become my favorite role. I have a lot in common with him, actually and it's hard not to take on his habits and vocabulary after two movies. Plus, I've become famous because of him. It's only natural that I've taken on some of his attributes."

"Makes sense. I've been trying for years to write characters like that author, but my stories aren't right and my characters always turn out to sound more like me than someone else. I couldn't come up with a different character to save my life."

"You're a writer?" he asked, interested.

"I try. Mostly they're stories that no one would ever read. The decent ones don't have any real movement. Those that I'd like to read if someone else used the plots fizzle out quickly into writer's block."

"Can I read something you've written?" I couldn't see his face because his back was still to me, but it seemed like he was serious. But I've never shown anything I've written to anyone except Rose and Alice. They liked my poems, but it's not like they have any writing experience.

"I don't know, mostly they are just too embarrassing."

"Come on, I'll play a song for you," he promised. I wavered. I really wanted to hear something he'd written. I was also slightly musical and loved to hear what people wrote. But did I really want to embarrass myself more in front of Edward?

He turned his torso to look at me and his emerald eyes were sparkling with curiosity and pleading.

"Oh, alright, puppy dog. You play something for me and I'll let you read something I wrote."

"Alright." He drew a bit longer and I stared at the tv, concentrating on breathing. Did I really just agree to let a movie star read something I've written? I'd just have to search through my files and find the best thing and let him read that. But what was the best thing?

"Where are your CDs?" He asked, interrupting my inventory of my writing.

"Um, in the blue binder next to my CD player in my room, why?" He didn't answer, and instead recovered the spot on my cast.

"First, I'm going to sign your cast. I'll sign the bottom of your foot so not many people will pay attention to it. I'll sign Edward Cullen so maybe you could sell it one day for some money," he said sarcastically. I rolled my eyes as he signed my cast. He jumped up in search of my CDs.

"Why do you need my CDs?" I yelled to him in my room. I mean, the tv was fine for noise.

"To see what kind of music you like. Hmm. Some of these I've never heard of. Ah. Evanescence. Kelly Clarkson. Switchfoot. Josh Turner. All over the place, seems like."

"I like rock. I really love Josh Turner's bass voice. That's the only country music I can stand."

"What's this?!" He suddenly exclaimed.

"What?" I couldn't see what he was looking at because he'd sat down on the floor in front of our living room CD player. He was hiding some CD from me, but I could tell he'd gotten it from the back of the binder where I kept my least favorites.

A horrible realization came over me as I remembered a certain CD obviously labeled.

My fears were confirmed when, a few seconds later, the first familiar notes played.

"No, Edward, not that CD!!" I sat up, planning on going over to stop him, but he was too fast. He rushed over and sat next to me, holding me to the couch.

"What? I want to hear you sing."

"But I was 16!" I was so mortified. My embarrassment made me temporarily forget to be uncomfortable with him being so close, and I hid my face in his back. My 16 year old self belted out the lyrics to the song.

I was relieved when the last notes finally faded and I lifted my head. I tried to push Edward aside so I could get the CD out and away from him, but he stopped me as the song started again.

I cursed Bob with all the strength I had. Back then, Renee had been dating a man, Bob, who worked part time at an AM radio station. She was always bragging about something about me so he knew I sang. He invited me to come to the station and record me singing. It was labeled "Bella-16" and the song had been recorded on there twice.

"So, you're musical too?"

"I wouldn't call myself musical, exactly. I love it and I like to sing. Music and words are two things that really get to me." His back was still to me and he still had my wrists in his hands from holding me down. He let me go, but didn't stand up.

"Now, let me read something you wrote."

"I told you--."

"You'd let me read it once I played something for you. I pushed 'play' on the CD player, right? For a CD I chose?" He laughed at me, and stood up. He put the CD back in my binder and looked at me expectantly. He knew he had me with his sarcasm. I made a mental note to be careful to any compromises I made with him in the future.

"Fine, but you'd better play me a song you wrote."

"Sure." I yelled in frustration. Why did I insist on embarrassing myself around him? Was he really just here to be my friend? Well, I hope he was enjoying laughing at me. I definitely was keeping his time from being boring, that's for sure.

"Fine, alright. There is a filing cabinet next to my desk. Here's the key. The bottom drawer has my stories. The more finished ones are on my laptop, though. Grab a folder from the drawer and bring it here and I'll pick one for you to read."

He smirked at me and went into my room. I heard the cabinet open and the shuffle of papers as Edward riffled through 16 years of my writing. I'd been writing since the fifth grade, so there were a lot of pieces of stories and a few that were in the editing stages.

Edward was in my room a while, the shuffle letting me know he still hadn't decided on the folder.

"Just pick one and bring it in here." I yelled, hoping he'd just grab one and come on. There were so many that I didn't want even Alice or Rose to read. The shuffling stopped and I thought he'd come walking in with a folder.

Instead, he seemed to have settled right down in my room to read. Oh crap. Now, not only could he be reading something I didn't want anyone to see, but I couldn't see his reactions to what he was reading. Faces always showed reactions as they played out inside them. Edward was a good actor and was more experienced at that than others. And I was experienced at reading people's faces.

I had to be, in order to tell what they really thought about our hotel service and staff.

About an hour later, there was more shuffling of papers. Maybe he was through and was coming back? Oh no, what if he was so horrified by what he'd read that he rushed straight out the door without so much as a bye?

The shuffling stopped again. What was going on in there?

Curiosity got the better of me and I stood up, intending to go see what he was reading. I slowly and carefully picked up my crutches one at a time to keep them from making any noise.

As I struggled to get them settled, they clanked together, the mutinous traitors!

"Bella, you aren't getting up, now, are you?" Edward called from my room.

"Well, um," I considered lying, but then realized I had a very valid excuse for needing to get my bedroom.

"Yes, I am because I have to go to the bathroom." Before I could straighten out the wayward crutches, Edward showed up to help me.

"Really, Edward, I need to learn to do this on my own. You can't be here 24/7 and neither can anyone else. I'll be wearing this thing for six weeks total. I need to get back into doing this."

"Stop being stubborn, Isabella. You've only had the cast two days. You've got to get used to the bulkiness and feel of the cast before you can really get used to the crutches. It will only cause a bunch of pain later if you don't."

"Whatever. How are you gonna help me?" I had done fine this morning when I'd crutched out of my room alone, with no complaints from him then. So why's he not letting me get to the bathroom alone? It's just right in my room.

But then he took one crutch away and replaced it with his arm around my shoulders. I couldn't say anything. I could barely breathe. I was glad he wasn't a vampire or else he'd be able to hear my heartbeat speed up.

Come on, Bella. Get it together girl. He is way out of your league, even if you wanted it to be otherwise. And he leaves in like, two weeks. Barely time to be friends.

I was not the type to get hung up on looks. Obviously, Edward Cullen was hot. Kind of dorky on screen, if you think about it, though. But his British accent really makes up for it. And that hair. Bronzy-reddish-brown bedhead. And I really hated that I was so impressed by someone so famous.

But, really, he was even more incredible behind the face. He could be a little arrogant at times, especially about some points I'd already proven him wrong about. But, really, with all his fangirls, didn't he have a reason to be arrogant? Kind of like Mr. Darcy from _Pride and Prejudice_?

Edward helped me to my bathroom and turned back to my stories as I closed the door. It was sort of embarrassing with him not many feet away so I turned on my bathroom stereo. My face must have been bright crimson when I crutched out because Edward just laughed at me.

"Did you enjoy your bathroom music?" He asked, making me blush deeper. He was still laughing from his spot on the floor, my various stories spread out around him. I grabbed the other crutch from where he'd somehow propped it against the wall and crutched out on my own.

He'd been right about one thing—I did need time to get used to the cast and crutches. As I crutched across to him, the right one caught on one of the metal rods, throwing off my balance and sending me face first into the carpet. I closed my eyes, not wanting to be that intimate with my carpet and threw the crutches away from me, not wanting to get tangled up in them as I fell.

I expected to hit the floor very hard and be in terrible pain from the fresh rugburns on my face for a while. However, instead of something hard, I landed on something soft that smelled very good and said "Ow."

I lifted my head very slowly, knowing very well what I had done now and opened my eyes. Edward's amazing eyes were just inches from mine and were clouded with pain and….could that be amusement?

"Sorry!" I said, scrambling to get off of him. I looked him over to check to make sure he wasn't bleeding or anything because of me. I'd put more than just myself in the hospital plenty of times.

Edward just laughed.

"Oh my God! You aren't hurt anywhere are you?"

"Why are you worried about me? I'm fine. More than fine, actually. Maybe a few bruises and a rug burn or two. But I did get a pretty girl in my lap for a few seconds. Did you hurt yourself?" The pain and amusement were replaced by concern. I shook my head.

"I'm fine. I've had a lot worse, believe me. And so have some of my friends that have had the misfortune of being next to me."

"Clumsy, are we?" I rolled my eyes. As if he hadn't figured that one out, yet.

"Yep, understatement actually."

He stood up and helped me to do so as well. This time I didn't complain as he replaced the right crutch with his shoulder. I was hurting a little from my fall so he forced some crackers and pain medicine on me.

It was late afternoon by then. Edward brought some of the story folders and read them while sitting on the other side of the sectional. I laid down on my half, slowly succumbing to my pain medicine. I guess it had been another long day for me.

I heard a voice whisper my name, asking if I was awake, but all I could muster was a "mmmm" and then I was asleep.

**A/N: Okay, so here's a little bit of what you're all wanting. Things are slowly changing, maybe a little more rapidly than before. I know you all hate me for them not kissing, but that would have made Bella doubt herself and Edward even more, as **Ashley0502 **has pointed out, "****W****e all know Bella and if he just leans in and kisses her, she's going to think he's just using her or toying with her, and she's going to freak." **

**So yeah, she has to really accept that he wants to be real friends first, then move on to decide how she really feels about him. **

**Inspite of you all hating me for the cliffie, I love you all!**


	13. Chapter 13

**A/N: I just wanted to say thank you all for the lovely reviews. I know I don't always respond to each one, but know that they make me smile and feel good that you're enjoying my story. Sometimes I actually laugh out loud because of your great enthusiasm. **

**So, just because I don't respond that doesn't mean I don't love ya!**

**Disclaimer: All **_**Twilight **_**characters belong to Stephenie Meyer.**

Chapter 13

BPOV

"Bells. Bella. C'mon, Bella, wake up," Alice said, gently shaking my shoulder. I opened my eyes and sat up, surprised at the dusky light outside the window.

"Hey, Al, what time is it?"

"Seven. Richard said you'd fallen asleep at 3:30 or 4." She gave me a searching look, and I wondered again how it was that she hadn't realized who he really was. I mean, had she really not seen him without his disguise? And even if not, did it really fool her? Alice, the know–it-all?

"Did he leave?"

"Yeah, when I got home. You can't expect him to be entertained watching you sleep, right?"

"Ha, ha. Thanks for waking me. I've got to get some homework done." I felt a little disappointed that I'd wasted so much time sleeping when I could have been talking to Edward. But, he still wasn't finished with the drawing, right? So he had to come back, right? We were going to be friends and just one day is not long enough to make friends with someone.

I got up from the couch and hobbled into my room, with a noted lack of protest from Alice. Was Edward the only one who didn't think I could walk on crutches on my own? The file drawer was closed and all my stories were filed away. There was no sign that a demi-god had sat there and had been almost crushed by a crippled girl falling on him.

I grabbed my backpack and got comfortable on my bed, settling in for a few hours of homework.

A knock on my door signaled dinner. Jacob came in carrying a tray with a piece of chicken, mac and cheese, green beans and a glass of coke.

"Jacob!"

"Bella!"

"Wow, thanks. I haven't eaten a real meal since 11." Jacob gave me a stern look. "It was a late breakfast and I took meds at 3 with a pack of crackers and then fell asleep." He sat the tray on my bed and remained standing.

"He should have made sure you ate a real meal." So Alice had told Jacob that Edward had been here. There was something in his voice, more than just annoyance at the missed meal, but I couldn't figure it out.

"Relax, Jake. I was hurting and wouldn't have been awake long enough to get real food."

"Yeah, I heard about that, too. I don't know if I like this Richard Masen guy. He's rude to you, causes you to break your ankle, he then lets you fall again, and then doesn't even make sure you eat properly before taking your pain medicine." So, did Alice tell Jake everything? This conversation would be sweet, if it wasn't so irritating. Jacob acting like he had any right to say anything about my health.

I had to remind myself that only Edward and I knew the whole story.

"Why is he even hanging around, anyway? Isn't he just a guest in your hotel?"

"He feels guilty about being rude and for making me break my ankle, even though that was more my fault than anyone else's. And you know how stubborn I get. I wouldn't let him help me so I got all tangled up in my crutches today and fell. By the way, I landed on him and probably hurt him. So he at least tried to catch me." I was upset at the whole situation, but it didn't escape me that he looked pleased at the possibility that Edward had been hurt when I'd fallen on him.

"Stop acting like a protective big brother. I can take care of myself." Always the little sister, that's me. Why does everyone think they have to take care of me?

"Oh really?" Jacob asked, looking pointedly at my cast and then back to me. I glared back and put a bite of chicken in my mouth.

"So why are you here, other than to be a pain in the butt big brother?" He climbed on my bed with me and scooted close to my side. There was a faint leap in my heart, but I noticed it wasn't as strong as it normally was when Jacob got that close to me. Normally I'd be struggling to keep myself from literally jumping for joy over this. Had I finally gotten over my feelings for him?

I guess it was just a crush, after all.

We talked about his school, his friends, his life outside of Forks and then my degree and how everything was going with my classes. Just surface things.

Ours was a weird relationship. Sort of a shallow intimacy. We sometimes talked about important things, but I'd always envied the closeness that he and Alice had. I could and did tell him anything and everything, but it seemed like there was just something between us, keeping the friendship from getting closer. I'd thought it was messed up quality about me. I wasn't exactly known for getting close to many people. Chalk it up to the screwed up way my parents raised me. It was just hard to let anyone get close to me enough to really know me.

Alice joined us a little later, but didn't stay long. There was another important trial coming up that she had to help prepare for.

"But I promise that soon it will be just us girls. There's been a lot that's happened lately that you, I, and Rose need to talk about." I raised my eyebrows questioningly, but she just nodded towards Jacob and gave me a look to say _later_.

"Bells, do you mind if I hang out here with you for a while longer? Are you wanting to go to sleep soon?" Jacob asked when Alice left.

"Sure, Jake. My nap will do me good for a few more hours, at least. I also got more than enough sleep last night."

"Good. I've really missed you lately and just wanted to hang out as long as I could."

Our hanging out was interrupted by the escalation of the pain in my ankle. It had been slowly coming to my attention, but suddenly it was there—hot pangs of fire radiating through my leg.

"OW!" I said, grabbing my leg.

"What? What is it Bella?"

"Pain. Medicine. Please. Now," I was able to gasp out. He scrambled off the bed, jostling my bed and my ankle, and grabbed my meds from the desk in the living room. I knew it was all in my head, but I felt the pain ease immediately as soon as I'd swallowed the pain pill. Oh gosh, was I becoming a pillhead? After only, what, three days or so? Hopefully not.

The smell of bacon helped wake me up the next morning. I practically jumped out of bed (as much as I could with a heavy cast with metal rods sticking out of it) and tried as best as I could to wash off. The hospital had recommended this plastic sleeve thing that fit over the cast and was secured with a plastic band at the top of the cast. It was supposed to keep the water out, but it didn't work very well. I ended up having to stick my leg out of the tub and wash off with the faucet digging into my back. Washing my hair was going to be even more interesting.

I realized I'd been expecting (hoping? wanting?) to see Edward again when I saw it was Renee in my kitchen. It was 8am and my stomach growled loudly so my pause at the hallway door wasn't very long. Hopefully the strange disappointment wouldn't show on my face.

"Good morning, sleepy head," she sang out as I crutched into the room. "You go lie back down and I'll bring in breakfast in a few minutes." I did as I was told, in no mood to rebel. The stupid cast was getting on my nerves.

The cast was getting old. The crutches were annoying. I really wanted a nice hot shower. Edward wasn't here. He hadn't called last night, either, and I'd even checked my cell phone for missed calls. Zero.

Friends went days without seeing each other, right? Could go twelve hours, or fourteen and a half, without talking on the phone, right? So there's no reason for me to feel like this. I should not be afraid that he'd given up or accepted that I'd accepted his apology and had gone on with his business, right?

I didn't protest when Renee insisted on helping me wash and dry my hair. I hadn't been looking forward to that, and it was ridiculously thick and hard to deal with even when I could stand on both feet.

I spent all day on the couch, alternating between movies and my homework. All the while listening to Renee. Or at least pretending to. I mean I loved my mom, but she was a bit flighty and scatterbrained and her conversation topics spun like a revolving door, never staying too long on one subject. She also rarely paused for a real response from me, anyway.

Edward didn't call.

Had I injured him when I fell on him? He hadn't looked any worse for wear, but there could have been internal bleeding. That's what you really have to watch for. Had he had enough of me and my rudeness and smart mouth? I almost called the hotel to see if I cold weasel any information about him from Ericka. I stopped myself. I was being irrational. Edward Cullen was a freaking movie star! Of course he couldn't really want to be _my_ friend. He was way too gorgeous and I was way too plain.

I was pulled from my distraction by Renee reaching for Edward's movie. She'd been with me when I saw it in the theatre, but I don't think she'd seen it since. She knew it was my number one favorite movie, but that's about it. I knew she hadn't recognized 'Richard' as Edward, but if she watched the movie again, there was no way she couldn't notice the resemblance.

The voice, the hair, the eyes. I really should tell him to get a better disguise. A hat and sunglasses inside? Really? I bet Emmett laughed at that one behind his back. He seemed the type to do so.

"No, Mom, I don't think I want to watch that one today," I said, fighting to keep my voice even so she wouldn't get suspicious.

"Why not? Don't you love this movie?" She had no idea.

"Yeah, but I don't want to wear myself out on it. I'm already reading a book in that series and don't want to get overloaded on it."

"Oh, well, I guess you're right. I really wanted to watch it, though. Maybe I'll just borrow it sometime." I didn't say anything, praying that she wouldn't ask to borrow it anytime soon.

Dinner was ready when Alice got home from work at 5:30. Jacob had shown up at 5, ready to hang out more and eat with us. Rose even came over at 6.

All three of the girls knew how I felt about Jacob so when he was home from school they conspired to get us together as much as possible, so I shouldn't have been surprised that he'd been invited.

"Bella, you heard from Richard today?" Alice asked at dinner.

"No, guess seven good deeds were enough for him. Either that, or he's in the hospital because I hurt him falling on him," I laughed, covering up the weird twist in my chest at the subject. Alice and Renee joined but Rose and Jacob just looked angry. Huh?

"Good riddance. Now if he'll just stay away for good," Jacob said. Alice looked at me pointedly, but I didn't understand. My eyebrows scrunched together in confusion. She just gave me another weird look, her eyes cutting back and forth to Jacob. I shrugged, trying to let her know I was clueless.

"Bella, Rose can I talk to you in my room for a minute?" Alice said, after dinner. I crutched after her to sit on her brand new comforter. Rose perched on Alice's mushroom chair.

"What was _that_?" Rose asked before Alice could begin.

"What was what?"

"Jacob's problem with Richard Masen," Alice said in a duh voice. Of course they would want to know about that; they were entirely too observant sometimes. I just shrugged, not really understanding it myself.

"No clue. He doesn't seem to like that he's hung around so much even though he seems to have been the cause of a lot of trouble for me recently." I shrugged again and thought about just how much trouble 'Richard Masen' had brought into my life.

"Hmmm." Alice thoughtfully looked down at my cast. She seemed to realize something and jerked her head up to look at me.

"Bella, do you remember the look on Jacob's face when he saw the covered spot on your cast? The spot anyone can see would cause Richard to have to get a lot closer to you than is normal for a complete stranger?" Rose's eyes got a strange gleam while Alice was talking. She looked at me too, a searching look on her face. What were they implying?

"Um, yeah, sure, I guess?"

"Bella, Jacob's jealous!" Rose practically screamed. Alice shushed her and tilted her head back towards the living room where Jacob and Renee were probably wondering about us.

"What? Huh? Why would Jacob be jealous? What is there to be jealous of?"

"Richard," Alice said smugly.

"Richard?!" I whispered loudly, fighting to keep my voice down.

"Yep. Bella, you are a very personal-space conscious person. Especially when it comes to _guys_ being close. Everyone who knows you knows this," Alice said.

"However, you seem to have had no problem letting Richard Masen draw on your cast in an area where he would definitely be too close to your personal space. Especially since I know he's left handed," Rose said.

"And remembering how you were sitting on the couch yesterday when we got home," Alice concluded her argument.

"Oh, come on, Alice. Rose. Why would Jacob Black be jealous of E-Richard Masen?" I mean, besides the fact that he is the most gorgeous movie star I've ever seen in my life? Not that looks are everything.

"Maybe he's finally realizing what he's been missing all these years? Maybe he thinks Richard hasn't missed it," Alice said.

I snorted.

"Oh, come on Bella. Are you telling me that you really believe Richard is only hanging out with you because he feels guilty over everything?" Alice said.

"It can't be that he likes me. We've only just known each other like a week. And that whole week we've done nothing but argue. Neither Jacob nor Richard has any feelings for me past friendship; no matter how much I may wish it otherwise." I blushed, hoping that they would drop this. Then I rolled my eyes, trying to cover up my blush. Why was I blushing anyway? Oh, right, because I wanted Jacob to like me as more than a friend. Right.

"Wait, what? Are you just talking about Jacob, or are you telling us that you like Richard, too?" Rose squealed before I could answer Alice.

"Oh my God! Bella, he's so cute!"

"Ssshhh, Rose, they'll hear you! Of course I don't like Richard, too. I only met him a few days ago. And like I just said, we've argued the whole time. There's more to a relationship than looks, Rosalie."

"Uh, huh. Believe me, attraction knows no timetable. You draw them in physically and then see if they're worth getting to know in all the other ways," Rose said suggestively.

"Ugh, Rose, I so did not need to think about that!" I said and threw a pillow at her.

"You _would_ say that Rosalie," Alice said.

"What?! It's true. And I wasn't talking about having sex with him, Isabella. Just that you have to be attracted to them physically first. That's what keeps them coming back for more. They get to know you more each time they hang out with you. But _attraction_ only takes seconds," Rosalie finished defending herself.

I really wished I could tell them why it was impossible. Even if I wanted it to happen, 'Richard Masen' would never be attracted to Bella Swan. No way. And I didn't care if he was or not, anyway.

"He's not from here, anyway. He's only here for two more weeks and then he'll go back to his real world."

"A lot can happen in two weeks. You could at least use him to make Jacob more jealous and help him realize his true feelings for you," Alice said.

"A lot _can_ happen in two weeks, I agree. But you guys seem to think that more is going on than is. And what you're thinking is going on, I wouldn't want to happen in only two weeks. Love at first sight doesn't exist. And are you seriously telling me to use Richard to make Jacob jealous? That's just wrong."

"Who said anything about love? We're talking having fun. Hanging out. Give him a reason to come back to your hotel to stay again," Rose winked at me.

I rolled my eyes and crutched back out to the living room. Some friends had joined Jacob and Renee while we were talking.

As we chatted and hung out and the new visitors signed my cast, I wondered about Edward again. Especially when people asked about the covered spot. Would he be back to finish it? Why hadn't he called? What was he doing? What had he thought about what he read yesterday?

Oh, and why was Jacob Black so angry when I explained about 'Richard's' drawing?


	14. Chapter 14

**A/N:** **Okay, sorry for being so long in updating. I was almost finished with my other story **_**Ship Wrecked**_** so I finished it first. Also, everything up to now was already written, just needing some editing, so updates will be slower anyway. I tried to figure out a regular updating time, but it all comes down to the number of reviews I get (and therefore feel really guilty if I don't update quickly) and when the inspiration strikes. I will try extremely hard to not keep you waiting too long, though.**

**Good news is that I know exactly where it's going, unless one of the characters throw me for a loop. Just a heads up. And I have no other story to worry about. Love y'all. **

**Disclaimer: All **_**Twilight **_**characters belong to Stephenie Meyer.**

Chapter 14

BPOV

I wasn't used to spending so much time at home. I had a job. I hung out with my friends. I occasionally went shopping (for books, not clothes). I hadn't really been anywhere since Friday, and it was Wednesday. I so needed to get out.

Alice and Rosalie had other plans, though. Apparently a lot had been going on while I was in the hospital and stuck at home a few days. How much can happen in four days? A lot.

I laid in bed Wednesday morning, trying to remember my dream. I thought I knew what it was about, but it lingered on the edge of consciousness, playing hide and seek so I never fully comprehended it. I just knew that Edward had been in it, such as he'd been in a lot of my dreams since meeting him. Stupid sandman. Couldn't he give me more realistic dreams?

I was interrupted by a flying ball of black hair followed more slowly by a mane of blonde hair.

"Morning Bella!" Alice sang out after landing next to me on the bed.

"Mornin' Alice. Hey Rosalie. Don't you guys have work today?"

"No, we called in," Rose said. "We need to spend time together since we didn't get to this weekend."

"And this day couldn't wait for next weekend. We're in bad need of girl time," Alice said. She pulled me to my feet and pushed me towards my bathroom while she and Rosalie went to fix breakfast. I smelled a full breakfast before I got out.

Pancakes, sausage, bacon, eggs, toast, biscuits. Oh so much to choose from and so little room!

It was good to spend some time with them. I felt that the past few days had done a lot to send us on our separate ways. I didn't even know how Alice's date with Jasper had gone. I bet Rose did, though.

"So, Alice."

"So, Bella."

"What happened with Jasper?" She got this glazed over look in her eyes and her face turned beet red.

"Oh, my gosh, Bella. Jasper is perfect. He's just so good. I know we got started late, but we stayed up for hours just talking about nothing. We went down to First Beach and just talked since it was too late to actually do anything."

"Sorry Alice, that's my fault," I said.

"No, Bells, it's not your fault. Besides, I'd rather not change how it went. We got to know each other so much better than if it had been a more formal date. The forced changes broke a lot of tension. Especially when we got to laugh at your clumsiness," she laughed the last part. I threw my balled up napkin at her.

"So, are you two going out again?" Rosalie asked. Maybe she didn't know much, after all.

"Yeah. Tomorrow night. He wanted to go out tonight, but I have to go in to work later and didn't want to give up girl time."

"Alice, I thought you'd gotten today off?"

"Only by agreeing to come in later this afternoon. Don't worry, Bells. We have plenty of time for Rose and I to drag out the details of your nights with Richard." I sighed and leaned back on the couch. There was so much I couldn't say and so much I wanted to say.

I needed to talk to my best friends and have them straighten out what was going on in my head and heart. Maybe they could explain why in the heck a movie star would ever want to hang out with me. But I couldn't tell them Edward Cullen was wanting to be my friend. They knew him as Richard Masen.

"Nothing happened Alice. I didn't even know he was there those two nights. Sure, I saw him the second morning, but we just talked."

"Oh, but Bella, what about your two whole days with him? That boy is fine, and looks so familiar." She said that last part kind of low and to herself, as if trying to figure out where she'd seen him before. I'd have laughed if I hadn't felt so panicked that she'd figure it out. Rosalie gave me a weird look and changed the subject.

"Alright, Alice, back on task. Bella obviously doesn't think spending a few days with a hot guy is anything to talk about, so what are we going to do today?" I shot her a grateful smile that faded with Alice's next words.

"Well, we can either go _clothes_ shopping or do makeovers!" I groaned.

"Bella, you haven't bought any new clothes and the summer is almost over. You need winter clothes. We need to snatch them up now or all the cute clothes will be gone."

"Alice, it's only July, we've still got at least two months before I need winter clothes."

"Bella, this is Forks. Summer could end at any time and you'd be stuck with last year's fashion." Alice and Rose both shuddered at the thought.

"Actually, Alice, I think it might be better for Bella to just stay in and watch our favorite movies all day," Rose said, looking at me weirdly again. I was about to ask if I had something on my face when I registered her phrase "our favorite movies". Oh no, not again!

"No!" I yelled. They looked at me, wide eyed. "I mean, Renee and I did that all day yesterday. I would really rather not watch movies again all day." They looked like they didn't quite believe me.

"Well, I guess I agree that she doesn't need to get out just yet. But what can we do now, if we don't watch movies?"

"Maybe there's something we can turn on as background noise and just talk or something?" I asked hopefully. In the end, they agreed because every other plan was shot down by one or the other of us.

"God, when did we become so boring?" Alice asked a few hours later. We were all three curled up on the sectional. Well, I was as curled up as I could be with the stupid metal rods sticking out of my leg. I couldn't help but think it was my fault that we had nothing to do.

"Sorry," I said.

"No, Bella. This isn't your fault. You broke your leg, and not on purpose. We're just not up to being very creative," Rosalie said.

"Yeah, I planned this spontaneously and didn't put much thought into it," Alice interjected.

"That's nothing new," I said, and we broke out in giggles.

"Bella, are you sure you don't want to watch movies? I mean, I know you're already reading a book in that series, but we haven't watched your movie in a while. I've been thinking about it for about a week now and really want to watch it," Alice said, reaching for where Renee had set it down the day before.

"NO!" Rose and I both yelled and she lunged towards the movie. I stared at Rosalie with an incredulous look on my face as Alice whipped her head back and forth between us. What was Rosalie's problem?

"Whatever, I didn't realize you guys had lost your passion for the hotness that is Edward Cullen. I'm going to the ladies' room. You two pick out the movie." She gracefully stood up and went to her room. I turned to Rosalie.

"What the heck was that?" Her cheeks slowly turned a very light shade of pink. She avoided my eyes and played with her fingers.

"Rose? What's going on? You've been acting weird and saying funny things since last night. You can tell me."

"Well, um, Bella. I-I w-went out on a date Saturday night while Alice was on one with Jasper."

"Okay, and?" How did that explain her leading comments and looks, almost as if we shared an inside—wait. Wait a minute. She knew! Rosalie Hale knew that Richard Masen was Edward Cullen!

"What do you know, Rose?" I decided to be straightforward and ask her. If I wasn't the first to say his name, then I'd still kept his secret.

"My date was with Emmett McCarty." That was a simple enough statement, but it held so much. Emmett was Edward's bodyguard. When had they met? Oh yeah, probably at the hospital when I was brought in. I thought I remembered that Emmett had been in the waiting room when Rosalie and Alice were there.

She knew Richard was Edward. That's how she knew he was left-handed. She'd probably spent some time with them both sometime in the past few days or nights.

"Wait, Rose, do you know why Edward hasn't called me?" Her eyes held understanding, but no answers. Before she could speak, though, Alice returned. She was still huffy, especially since we hadn't picked out a movie. She just randomly grabbed one, but not _the_ movie since Rosalie had stuffed it behind others.

We spent the rest of our time together being silly and girly. That wasn't something I typically did, but every now and then it was nice to remember I _was_ a girl and that it was okay to giggle and fan myself over a cute guy that was saying something way too sweet and way too fake.

Rose skipped out on me when Alice started getting ready for work, obviously not wanting to continue our conversation. Did she know why Edward hadn't called me? I would definitely be calling her later after Alice left.

"Okay, Bells, you gonna be okay by yourself tonight? You learned how to crutch around on your own alright?" Alice said, about to walk out the door.

"Yes, Alice, mother." I rolled my eyes. "God, why can't you people realize I am 26 and perfectly capable of taking care of myself? You, Jacob, Renee, and Richard all need to get a grip over this."

"Oh, Isabella Marie Swan! Richard and Jacob have been worried about you?! Oh, I'm so happy! You have to tell me more about that!" As if I hadn't already told her and she hadn't actually seen it herself as far as Jacob was concerned. I rolled my eyes and practically pushed her out of the door.

I crutched to my cell phone, automatically checking for a missed call or text message, and finding nothing, before hitting Rosalie's speed dial number. Her call back tone was some stupid rap song or something that I had to listen to four times before her voice mail picked up.

"Hey there, this is Rosalie Hale. Leave me a message and I just might return the favor sometime." _Beep._

"Rose, I know you're avoiding me right now, probably pressed ignore call or something. But you can't avoid me forever. You will answer my questions." I hung up and stood up from the couch. I was bent over the DVD rack, searching for my movie that Rosalie had hidden when my phone beeped.

I had a new text message from Rose.

_I'm not avoiding you for forever. Just a few days. _That was all. No reason behind avoiding me. No explanation for what was going on in that blonde head of hers.

I huffed in frustration and went over to the tv to put in the movie. Since I couldn't get up the nerve to call and talk to the real Edward Cullen, the next best thing would be to watch him on the small screen.

It was more difficult than I would have guessed, watching him in that movie, knowing that I had talked to him in real life and that he'd smiled that beautiful, breathtaking smile at me.

I wished that my normal personality trait of losing interest in celebrity would come to my aide this time and make me forget him. He was the one who was so persistent in becoming friends, so why had he not called or come over?

I wouldn't be honest with myself and admit just how much I missed him, so I stopped the movie and flipped through the cable channels. Edward's face made me pause on one of the entertainment channels, but I quickly turned it. It was a story about him and his co-star in the movie series that had made him famous. Sure, I loved the books and couldn't wait for the second movie (which premiered in theatres in September, just two and a half months away!), but it rankled me to see them walk hand in hand.

Oh, God. Just stop Isabella. If you're that obsessed all of a sudden, just call him.

I am _not_ obsessed with Edward. I just really thought he wanted to be my friend, and I wanted to be his.

Yeah, uh huh. Keep telling yourself that, sweetheart. Obviously you miss him more than he misses you.

I found my hand inching towards my cell phone. Before I could stop myself I had scrolled down my contact list to "Richard Masen". Alice had saved it in my phone Sunday after searching through my received calls directory.

"You never know when you might want to call him. And if you don't want to call him, at least you'll have his number saved and an assigned ring tone. I'll assign him, um, ah, 'Stupid Girls' by Pink. That way you have Pink telling you that you'd be stupid to pick up the phone."

I pushed call. I let it ring once but chickened out and hung up. Maybe he'd see my name on his missed calls and call me back?

Yeah, right. He probably hadn't even saved my number to his phone.

I didn't hear from Edward again the rest of that week.

**A/N: I know, it's short. It's mainly filler and I had to get it out before the next one could commence. I know you hate me because here's another chapter without Edward, but it had to come. Edward will be back next chapter, I promise. I love y'all.**


	15. Chapter 15

**A/N: This is for those readers bugging me about Edward. He's baaaack! Hope you like it. I wish to remind you all that I said last chapter was filler. It had to be written and posted separately or else the chapters would have been ridiculously long! Anyways, here it is. Maybe this will move us forward?**

**I love y'all! BTW did you guys see the new trailer for the movie? It's awesome! Longer than the other two as well.**

**Disclaimer: All things **_**Twilight**_** belong to Stephenie Meyer.**

Chapter 15

EPOV

I rolled over and groaned. How could such a small girl make me so sore just by falling on me? Bella was by no means very heavy, but I could hardly move. I couldn't afford to lie in bed all day recovering, either. I had stuff I had to do.

I glanced over at the dresser and smiled at the pile of folders there. Hopefully Bella wouldn't notice that I had taken some of her stories. I had skimmed through most of the fragments, amazed at how good they were. I would get caught up in them, only to find she'd suddenly stopped.

It was a little glimpse into her mind, reading those stories. I took them because I wanted her to finish them and edit them. I thought that maybe if they were typed up for her then it would be easier to continue them.

There was one in particular that I really wanted her to finish. It was about a high school girl whose class ring had a magical jewel in it that ancient Egyptians were trying to steal back. She had only a short time to realize this and then get it back to its resting place.

I slowly sat up and stretched, groaning again. At least I wasn't really injured. Just very sore.

I really couldn't put this off any longer. Not only did I have to find someone, or multiple someones, to type up these handwritten drafts, but I also had to arrange to stay two more weeks.

My original three weeks were almost up and I couldn't leave yet. Not when I was finally getting somewhere with being Bella's friend. She hadn't been as closed off as normal the last time I saw her. Maybe there was hope for us yet. As friends that is. I shouldn't even think about thinking about something more.

I wasn't one for a long distance relationship. That's part of the reason I'd been in so many. Hollywood breeded long distance relationships and I couldn't stand having my girl so far away, not knowing who she was with, what she was doing, if she was safe.

I got so caught up with planning and arranging that Friday morning came before I realized I hadn't seen or talked to Bella and that I surprisingly really missed her.

"Hey Eddie, what's up for today?" Emmett asked from the couch. He and Rosalie were curled up together watching some stupid movie like "Dude, Where's My Car" or something.

"Uh, just more plans, I guess."

"Edward, you really need to call or go see Bella. She's freaking out because she's doubting you want to be her friend," Rosalie said.

"Again? Doesn't she trust me yet?"

"Well, it has been three days since you talked to her. And last time she saw you she fell on you. She thinks she really hurt you or offended you or something."

"Didn't you tell her otherwise?"

"No, that's your deal, not mine. I had to keep the secret about her stories and I couldn't come up with a good enough lie."

"She's been avoiding Bella too," Emmett laughed. Great, now Bella is stuck with the hyperactive pixie.

"Well, I can't just give her the stories yet. They aren't finished."

"Well, you can call her, can't you? Friends don't tell friends everything. I'm keeping Emmett all to myself for now, and Alice is keeping her mouth shut about Jasper. Just talk to her, Edward."

"Yeah, Eddie, do it. Bella needs to know how you really feel," Emmett lifted his eyebrows at me and then winked. Idiot.

"She knows I want to be her friend, Emmett. There's nothing more than that."

"Oh, I forgot, your whole 'long distance relationships are impossible and never work and aren't for me' thing. You don't have to do a relationship, Eddie. Just date her, OUCH! Rosie, wha—oh, no, I didn't mean that! Just Edward doesn't do long distance. It'll be different for us, I do long distance." Rosalie was still glaring at him, so I backed out of the room, trying to tune out their discussion. Well, it wasn't much of a discussion, just Emmett trying to dig himself out with a few 'ouch's here and there.

I turned on my iPod and cranked it up, thinking. I hadn't seen or heard from Bella since Monday. Well, other than the other day when it rang once but she'd hung up before I could answer it. I was distracted at the moment and hadn't called her back.

Emmett was right. I hadn't been completely honest about my feelings for Bella. But what could I do? I was an actor who was so hot right now I was barely even at home anymore. That home was also in Hollywood while Bella's home was in Forks. I couldn't ask her to move to Hollywood after only known her five weeks.

No, as much as I might want more, I would keep the relationship at a friendship level only. But that didn't mean I couldn't spend time with her. Friends hung out all the time. Duh, Edward. Of course friends hang out. That's why they were _friends_.

My cell phone rang. I saw who it was and smiled. An idea for tomorrow was forming in my head.

BPOV

By Saturday I was going crazy with cabin fever and curiosity. Edward hadn't called and Rosalie was still avoiding me. Alice was suddenly really involved in a really big case and Renee was still unpacking from the move in with Phil. Charlie was usually working or fishing or something. I had spent way too much time at home.

Saturday morning was nice, not a trace of a cloud in the sky with a nice breeze blowing. I sat out on my balcony and noticed that someone had driven my truck over from the hotel. I hadn't noticed that yesterday.

My pain medicine had been making me sleep so much this week that I was up at 7am that morning and Alice was still asleep. That was a pleasant change. Not to be woken up by a black haired cannonball. I had a Poptart for breakfast and leaned back in my deck chair, enjoying the rare quiet morning.

Of course, it would be broken by my cell phone buzzing that I had a freaking text message at 7:26am on a Saturday. I limped to my bedside table, happily leaving my crutches behind since there was no one to see me. I gasped when I flipped the phone open to see a message from Edward.

_You're up early this fine Saturday morning._

_Yes, as are you, stranger._

_Well, I had things to do today._

_Apparently, you've had things to do all week._

_Ouch. Guess I deserve that one, huh?_

_I guess so, friend. _I was so happy to hear from him, but I still wanted to let him know I was ticked off at him.

_Got any plans today?_

_You mean besides slipping deeper into my cabin fever? Of course not._

_Cabin fever, huh? I have a nice remedy for that._

_Oh yeah, what?_

_A nice picnic._

_Picnic on my balcony won't do squat, Edward._

_No, picnic in the park. A nice stroll on the beach. Maybe some Frisbee. _I really hoped he was kidding. I mean, I'm not good at Frisbee even off crutches. I didn't complain, though. I was getting out! I hoped.

_Um, there's no way Alice will let me leave this apartment._

_Don't tell her. She's asleep, right?_ How does he do that?

_Where are you?_

_I brought over your truck._

I didn't reply to his message. I was in too big of a hurry to get out of there. Alice usually woke up at 8:30, even on the weekendsand I knew if she woke up before I left she'd never let me out. Just in case Edward was being serious about the picnic and the beach and the Frisbee, I grabbed a book to stuff in my bag. I would sit somewhere and read while he threw the Frisbee to himself or something.

I slung my bag over my shoulder and quietly crutched past Alice's room. I put my medicine in my bag as I passed the living room desk and snuck out the door.

"Trying to sneak out, are we?" A voice behind me asked, making me jump.

"Edward!" I breathed, turning around. I wasn't really prepared for the way my chest felt seeing him for the first time in a few days. God, he was beautiful.

"And why didn't you text me back to let me know you were coming out?"

"You're here, aren't you?"

"Because I know you Bella. I knew you'd try some stunt like this." My heart rate sped up when he said he knew me. Stupid Bella. I calmed myself down and continued to glare at him.

"Well, are we going or not?" I asked. He grabbed my crutches from me and turned his back to me.

"Get on."

"What?!"

"Climb on my back, Bella."

"I-I can't. You can't carry me down all those steps. You'll fall, or I'll hurt you again."

"Silly Bella. That little fall on Monday didn't do anything at all to me. And I can definitely carry you down these steps. Now, climb on or I'm leaving you here at the mercy of Alice and the cabin fever." Ah, crap.

I shifted my bag and hesitantly climbed on his back. My heart rate sped up at the contact, but I tried to explain it away as nervousness. Two flights of stairs!

"Calm down, Isabella. If you're that nervous, close your eyes." I did, and didn't reopen them until we were safely on the ground.

"Okay, we're down. See, I told you, nothing to worry about. I used your crutches to steady us." He let me down and handed me my crutches. I followed him to his Volvo and he put my bag in the trunk.

"So where are we going?"

"Port Angeles. I told you we were going to the park."

"We're not really going walking on the beach, right? I can't exactly walk on sand with these." He chuckled and got on the highway, following his GPS's directions.

"Don't worry. I've got everything taken care of. It's no big deal."

"Edward, what are we doing?"

"You'll see."

I couldn't get anything else out of him about our day, so I eventually gave up. Man he sure could keep a secret.

Then again, I guess if you're a movie star and expect to ever have any privacy, then you need to be able to keep them.

He drove to Lincoln Park and popped the trunk. I got out of the car, surprised that he let me walk on my own. I guess he figured a week was long enough to get used to the crutches. I kind of missed his arm, to tell the truth.

He led me to an area underneath some trees and spread out a blanket. He pulled out some simple breakfast items and we sat and ate.

"So, what have you been up to this week?" I asked, trying to sound casual. My motivations were anything but casual, but I was trying to ignore them. There's nothing wrong with asking your friends what they did in the days you haven't seen them.

"Not much, just rearranging some things, taking care of business," he said, shrugging his shoulders. "What did you do?"

"Just hung out with Renee, Rosalie, Alice, and Jacob. You remember Jacob, right? He came in right before you left Monday." He nodded curtly after taking a bite of a biscuit. "That's about it, other than homework."

Our conversation turned to other things. I guessed he'd already learned about the surface things about me because he'd now moved on to tougher questions. He wanted to know more about my family and friends and why I chose English as my major and why I was taking classes online instead of on campus.

"I didn't want to move right now and it really is cheaper this way," I said, shrugging.

It was strange, hanging out with him in such a public place. Of course, he had his poor attempt at a disguise on, but I knew who he was even if no one else did. It was surreal after having watched his movie just the other day.

Speaking of disguises, after a few hours I was reminded I had to talk to him about his. There was a group of teenagers a few feet away, sneaking glances at Edward and giggling.

"Um, Edward?"

"Yeah?"

"Do you really think that your disguise works?" He put his hand on his head as if to hold down the hat.

"Yeah, it usually does, why?" He looked worried and confused.

"You need a better one."

"What's wrong with this one?"

"It doesn't work," I said, nodding towards the teenagers who were now openly staring at him. He cursed quite loudly and started packing up.

"What's wrong, Edward? I thought celebrities were all about their fans?" I couldn't hold in my laughter as he scrambled to leave.

"I just wanted to spend some time with you outside today, not get pummeled by adoring fans, Bella." I stood up so he could fold the blanket and started crutching to his car.

It was a good thing I did, too. Just as I reached his car, he came sprinting up, beeping his trunk open and shoving the stuff in it.

"Get in, now!" He spat at me. I laughed and turned to see the girls not too far behind him. I barely got my door closed before he took off. It was so funny that I couldn't stop laughing and soon tears were streaming down my face.

"So, I guess I need a new disguise."

"Yep, and now all of Port Angeles will soon know that the great Edward Cullen is here. And your little fans will return to my hotel looking for you," I laughed. He glanced at his dashboard clock and changed destinations on his GPS.

"Well, as long as we're leaving, might as well head to the beach."

"I really don't think this will work, Edward."

"Trust me, Bella. I've got it all planned."

"So, did you plan for those girls to recognize and then chase you?"

"No, but I have help for the rest."

"Help?"

"You'll see," he grinned mischievously. And once again he was silent about what we were going to do.

We pulled into a parking space at the Port Angeles boardwalk and got out. I heard someone call my name and turned around.

"Oh crap, no. What the heck are _you_ doing here?" I said when I saw who was calling me.

**A/N: So, did it move forward? Please let me know if it gets too slow. I don't want to bog you down. ** **I love to hear what you don't like as much as what you do like, as long as you do it in a polite way. **

**But the cliffie was actually not on purpose this time. At least, not really. I love y'all and will update soon.**


	16. Chapter 16

**A/N: So I was going to have this posted earlier this morning, but my stupid cable company decided to do emergency maintenance on the high speed internet in my area. Gotta love the country. And, since I stayed up until 4am to get this typed up, I slept late today. Gotta love not having to actually get out of bed to go to classes. So, here it is, and hope you like it.**

**Really, if you don't like it, please let me know in a nice way. I love to know what you like and don't like so I can go back and edit it later on. **

**Disclaimer: All things **_**Twilight**_** belong to Stephenie Meyer.**

Chapter 16

BPOV

"Alice! Rosalie! What the crap are you two doing here?"

"Chill out, Isabella. I hope you didn't think you could seriously keep a secret as juicy as Edward Cullen to yourself forever," Alice said. Oh, great. She knew. It was bad enough that Rosalie knew, but Alice was not known for being able to keep secrets very well.

"We're merely here, enjoying this beautiful day on the beach," Emmett threw in. Alice had spoken a little loudly and people nearby had stopped to stare. I remembered that Emmett was Edward's bodyguard. He probably had tons of experience with this kind of thing.

We all held our breath until the people started walking away again. Apparently Edward's disguise worked this time.

"Bella, I would like to introduce you to Jasper Whitlock. Jasper this is my roommate Bella." Alice immediately lowered her voice. Guess she got the picture.

Jasper nodded his head in greeting, but stayed close to Alice's side. He seemed nervous and uncomfortable. Maybe he didn't like meeting so many new people at one time.

"Well, I hope you guys enjoy it, because there is no way I can. Crutches do not work on sand." Edward chuckled behind me and I turned towards him.

"Why does it not surprise me that _you've_ tried to use crutches on sand before?" I glared at him and started crutching toward the stairs to the beach. I hadn't really thought out what I would do once I got to the bottom, but continued down anyway.

At the bottom, an arm wrapped around my waist and stopped me.

"Bella, don't be mad. I was only joking." I couldn't quite respond because he was much too close. And the smell of him was so overwhelmingly amazing. My heart fluttered, stealing away my sarcasm.

I nodded and pulled away, trying to put some distance between us on the small landing.

"Come on, Bella and Edward. We've got some Frisbees to throw," Emmett boomed out, nearly knocking Edward down to get by us.

"Well, you heard him, let's go."

"Um, how am I supposed to get to wherever we're going? Crutches, remember?"

"No problem. Hey, Jasper, can you carry this for us, man?" Jasper nodded and took our bags. He seemed a little more comfortable with us. Maybe my little hissy fit broke the ice.

I was expecting Edward to put an arm around me like he'd done before. Instead, he handed Alice my crutches and picked me up.

"Ed-"

"Shh, Bella. Do you want a repeat of the park? It's Richard out here."

"Fine, Richard, what in the world-."

"You need to get to our chairs, right? This is easier than allowing you to try to walk on those crutches across to there." He pointed to the row of chairs that was far away from us. He walked across the sand, not waiting for any other comment from me.

Since he wasn't letting me down, I concentrated on slowing down my heart beat. Fortunately, the chairs were closer than I thought and I was soon set down on one. Edward ran off to join Emmett on the beach with a Frisbee.

"Jasper, why don't you go make friends with Edward and Emmett?" Alice suggested. He looked at her for a few seconds and then walked off.

"Wow, Alice, that guy is hot!" Rosalie said once he was out of earshot.

"Yeah, he is. We've been on four dates already. Girls, I really think he's the one," Alice said.

"Whoa, now. Why have I been so out of the loop on all this? It's been what, a week? Rosalie when did you hook up with Emmett?" This was so not fair. My two best friends were dating guys and seemed kind of serious about them? Why was I out of the loop?

"Oh, come on, Bells. You've been out of it yourself for the past week. Wrapped up in 'Richard Masen' and all his hotness," Rosalie said.

"Not to mention Jacob Black," Alice pointed out.

"Jacob? Me wrapped up in Jacob?"

"Yeah, he's home from college to see you, and you do like him, why wouldn't you be all up about it?" Rosalie scoffed. I shook my head.

"I just broke my leg, guys. I've not been wrapped up in anyone all week. You two have been keeping me locked up in my apartment."

"We've also been trying to get Jacob over there as often as possible. Blame Rose if it hasn't worked." Rose glared at her and I wondered why it could possibly be her fault.

"Alice, you're the one who mentioned 'Richard' staying with her in the hospital. Poor guy was really upset over that." I processed what they were saying as they bickered.

Looking back, I guess I had been distracted this week. Worrying about where Edward was made it impossible to even concentrate on my homework. Why the crap was this bothering me so much? I'd known the guy for one and a half weeks. We'd only been really talking for a week of that time.

"So, Bella, you listening?" Rosalie asked.

"Hm, oh, uh, yeah, I'm listening."

"Anyway, I met Emmett at the hospital that day you broke your leg. He actually followed me to the bathroom!" She laughed. "He is amazing. He's Richard's bodyguard and is so strong. I had no urge to leave him at the bar this time!"

"Wow, Rosalie, that hasn't happened in a while," Alice said. Rose snorted and hit her.

"Anyway. Bella, thank you for arguing with Edward and getting your ankle broken. Otherwise I'd never have met him!" She squealed and leaned over to hug me.

"Rose, you can let go now. I need to breathe." She let me go. "I guess you're welcome, Rose. Anytime you need me to break something else, let me know. Especially if it's to meet a guy." Rosalie giggled and blushed slightly. Alice and I looked at each other and rolled our eyes.

"So, Alice, how about you? Has my unfortunate week helped you any?"

"I don't think so. Except that maybe you being confined to our apartment made it so that Jasper and I have had to spend more time going on dates. The physical part of our relationship hasn't really advanced yet."

Alice keeps her relationships more to herself, but we all knew that she was looking for someone to connect with on a deeper level. Her boyfriends never lasted long because they looked on the surface and she looked deeper. They tried to rush her into the physical side of the relationship and she was still getting to know them.

"I just know that he's the one. We can talk for hours about everything and not even realize how much time has passed. We haven't even held hands yet!" Alice squealed and giggled, bringing her clasped hands up to her chin. She gazed down the beach to where the boys were bonding over a flying piece of plastic.

My breath caught as I saw Edward. He really was some kind of a demi-god or something. He couldn't be just a regular mortal. His hair was even more disheveled than normal. He ran his fingers through and bent over laughing at Emmett who was trying to keep the Frisbee from Jasper who'd climbed on his back.

He must have felt me staring or something because he looked up and smiled at me. I felt heat on my cheeks and looked away.

Alice and Rosalie were prepared for the beach since they'd been in on the plan. I had on pants and a t-shirt. Not beach wear at all, not that I'd ever been able to get a tan in my life. I pulled out my book from my bag and opened it to my last spot while they stretched out in their bikinis.

It was easy for me to get sucked into books and lose hours at a time. I had read about two chapters before I felt the first drops of water. I thought it was rain, but I looked up to see a very wet, shirtless, Edward leaning over me.

"Uh, hi? Can I help you with something?" He ran a hand through his hair, grinning at me before he responded.

"Actually, I have something for you." He sat down on Rosalie's vacated beach chair and picked up his bag. Huh, I must have been out of it for real for me not to have heard Rosalie leave.

"You do? What is it?"

"An explanation for my absence this week. I've had a few things to rearrange because I wanted to stay two extra weeks." He paused for my reaction. What was he expecting? I guess I was excited he'd extended his stay.

"Great." He frowned at my anticlimactic response. I smiled at him.

"That wouldn't really have taken all week, but this did." He reached in his bag and pulled out a jump drive and handed it to me.

"Thanks, I guess. I needed a new one." He laughed at me.

"No, it's not empty. I, uh, kind of took some of your stories with me on Monday. Here they are." He handed me a familiar file folder. I groaned and hid my face in my hands.

"Hey, now. Don't be like that. These stories were great. I kept getting to where you'd stopped and really wanted them to go on. So, I picked out my favorites and had someone type them up for you. That's what's on the jump drive. Twenty of your story fragments all typed up and ready for you to continue."

"Thanks!" I said, a little more enthusiastic this time. This was something I could appreciate and now I knew he liked what I had written.

"That's a more appropriate response. I thought you'd be happy that we could hang out longer. I know Rosalie will be." He looked over to Alice's abandoned beach chair where Rose and Emmett were curled up together watching the sunset.

They looked very happy and engrossed in each other as they whispered and laughed.

"Yeah, I think she will like it, too. I hate that she'll have to deal with him leaving, though. Long distance things are awful. But, then again, five weeks isn't a long enough time to really start a relationship. If that's even what they want." I was backpedalling, trying to cover up what I'd said. And avoiding just how happy I was that we was staying two extra weeks.

Edward and Emmett seemed good friends and I didn't want him to tell Emmett that Rosalie had been talking relationship. It scared guys sometimes when girls talked more than casual dating before they did.

Edward just nodded, agreeing with me. I felt bad for Rosalie if they were heading into a long distance relationship. Those things were so hard. That's the reason I believed I no longer had such strong feelings for Jacob. His college was so far away and he rarely came home.

Edward settled on the sand next to me and we talked as the sun set. Alice and Jasper were nowhere to be seen and Rose and Emmett left to take a walk.

I had to admit, even a long distance _friendship_ would be hard.

The sun was just dipping into the water when my cell phone beeped, letting me know I had a new voicemail. I hadn't even heard it ring. I dug it out and listened as Jacob rambled on about hanging out tonight. He was leaving tomorrow to go back to school, but really wanted to see me.

"Hey, how long were you keeping me out today?"

"Just until you needed to get back, why?"

"My friend Jacob is leaving tomorrow, you remember him?" He nodded. "Well, he's leaving and he wanted to hang out tonight. It's an hour back to Forks, and I just wanted to know if we'd be back at a decent enough hour." Edward grimaced. I looked at him in confusion. What's up with that expression? Friends can hang out with other friends. He'd obviously been hanging out with Rose all week, so why did he have a problem with me hanging out with Jacob?

"Sure, we can leave now," he said and abruptly stood up.

"We can wait until the sun-." I felt guilty but didn't know why. I shouldn't feel guilty about cutting our time short. Edward was the one who hadn't called all week. Speaking of, I was still mad at him for that. His wimpy explanations weren't gonna cut it for long.

"No, we can go now. I need to go anyway. Emmett and Jasper drove separately so we don't have to wait for them. Come on. I'll have to carry our bags, can you make it without me carrying you?" I nodded. That was a mood swing if I ever saw one. I just shrugged my shoulders. Who _ever_ understood guys?

I texted Jake on the way back and he was waiting in the parking lot when we pulled up. He frowned at the Volvo, but I knew his problem. I guess he still didn't approve of 'Richard' hanging out with me.

I got out of the car before either of them could help me, though I noticed they'd both started towards my door to open it.

"Here, Bella. You got everything?" I nodded. "Alright, I'll call you later, good night. Jacob." He nodded a greeting and got in his car and left.

Jake took my bag and walked to his car.

"Are you hungry?"

"Not really. I had a big lunch."

"Mind if we take a drive?" I shook my head no. Things seemed different with him tonight. He was quiet and more serious. He didn't really say anything until we were on the highway.

"So, you were with Richard Masen today? Thought he was leaving you alone."

"He was just busy this week. And Alice and Rosalie were with us, too." His tone was setting my teeth on edge. What business of it was his? I could be friends with anyone I wanted. He was acting all jealous… Wait, was Alice right?

Was Jacob jealous of Ric-I mean Edward? I waited for Jacob to go on. This was his deal, after all.

"So, you two dating?" I nearly choked!

"What?! No, we're just friends. Besides, he's leaving in a few weeks. There's no point in even thinking about anything more than friends."

"Do you like him?"

"No," I hesitated. Hopefully he didn't notice. Edward was a nice guy, and I did like him as a friend. That's all. A friend. "We're just friends."

"That's not what I asked. You can like someone as more than friends and still only be friends." He pulled his eyes from the road to glance at me then. For some reason I blushed. Then I nodded. Yeah, I had liked him for years as more than friends.

"So, do you like him?"

"No." I hoped he wouldn't ask further. That was something I'd recently been wondering myself. Wait, no. I don't do long distance. I also don't date movie stars. Yeah, right, Bella. As if. That's all, as if.

Edward Cullen would never want to date me.

Jacob breathed a sigh of relief, breaking me from my thoughts. I looked over at him and remembered a few of the reasons I had liked him so much.

He was a great friend. Here he was, worrying about me hanging out with a guy that he knew I had argued with and should rightly hate. He'd rushed home to see me when he'd heard I'd broken my ankle. And he was hot, too. He was from the reservation and had the whole mysterious spiritual thing about him that came with most Native Americans I knew.

He pulled up outside a fast food place.

"Are you sure you're not hungry? It's my treat?"

"No, I'm fine." He went through the drive through and drove to a park. He'd eaten on the way and was finished when we got there.

"I know you can't really walk, but would you like to sit at a picnic table or something? Tonight is really nice." I nodded and we got out.

"It is nice out," I said, gingerly sitting on the stone bench. I propped up my leg and Jacob sat across the table from me. It seemed he wanted to say something and I had a sinking feeling. I didn't know if I wanted to hear what he was going to say.

"So, tomorrow I leave."

"Yup. How's everything going?" I tried to keep my voice light and friendly, matching the relationship we'd always had.

"Great. Just one more year and then I graduate and can move back here. I miss so much of this place," he said, looking at me. I looked up at the stars, half veiled by clouds.

"Yeah, Forks is great sometimes. Still, I wouldn't mind living somewhere else for a while. Just for a change."

"Why don't you? You still have a little while to go on your Master's and college is a great way to get out of town for a while." He was excited now.

"I thought about it, but Alice and Rose stayed here and I don't know if I would want to leave and go somewhere without friends."

"You could join me. My school has a great English program. You could even stay and get your PhD."

"But you're moving back here in a year."

"Not if you're there." Oh great. This is what I've been wanting to hear for so many years, right? That tone of voice doesn't sound like friends to me. I'd only heard it a few times before, when guys had been trying to sound vulnerable when they were confessing their "feelings" for me. This time, though, it didn't sound like Jacob was faking.

I cleared my throat, no clue what to say.

"Bella, can you look at me?" I did. He reached across the table and took my hand. My heart gave a pitiful attempt at fluttering at his contact. "I would really love it if you would move down there with me. Or, I was wondering if maybe-. Well, I really like you, Bella. I think I have for a while now, but this trip home made me realize it."

"Jake, I, I. For a long time, I've waited to hear you say that."

"But." I nodded. There was a but.

"But, I don't feel that way anymore. I guess with you so far away, and never saying anything, never giving me any hope. I guess I grew up. Besides, you were always closer to Alice than me."

"Because I liked you so much. It was different, liking you. Compared to the other girls I've dated. You aren't the type for a fling, Bella. You deserve a real relationship, and I wasn't ready for that. Grad school will make you grow up fast."

"I'm sorry Jacob, but-."

"I'm too late, aren't I? Not just that your feelings for me have changed. But that you feel that way about someone else now. Right?"

"I don't know, Jake. I couldn't tell you when it changed or what changed, exactly. But, I think you are too late. Sorry." He shook his head and let my hand go. My head was spinning and I didn't really want to analyze anything tonight.

He drove me home in silence. He helped me up to my apartment and kissed my forehead at my door.

"Bye, Bella," he said and left, whispering something I couldn't hear. It kind of sounded like a promise not to give up, but I hoped that wasn't the case. I wanted him to move on from me as I had from him.

Alice wasn't home yet, probably still at the beach enjoying time with Jasper.

I went through my bed routine robotically, my mind going over everything that happened that day. I guess I was going to analyze even though I really just wanted to sleep.

My mind twisted around the two guys in my life. One friend wanting more; something I used to want but didn't anymore. Another friend from whom I might want more, if I would let myself examine my true feelings.

No point in that. He was gone in a few weeks, back to his model girlfriends and premier parties. No room for boring Bella Swan at all.

Not even my dreams brought any answers.


	17. Chapter 17

**A/N: Cop out? I don't know, you decide. I had to move two months ahead to keep from getting bogged down too much. There's still more to come with this story and i really wanted it to flow easily.**

**Disclaimer: All things **_**Twilight**_** belong to Stephenie Meyer.**

Chapter 17

_Two Months Later…_

BPOV

"Isabella. I need to see you in my office as soon as Ericka gets here, okay?" Mr. Morgan said as he passed the front desk.

"Yes sir." What could my head manager want to see me about? When Ericka got there I asked her if she knew.

"Nope, no idea. He was a little upset yesterday but he didn't say why. Apparently business has been down some since Edward left." I gathered my stuff slowly and went to Mr. Morgan's office. Was he firing me?

"Come in, Isabella." I stepped in his office and sat down in the chair in front of his desk. He held up a piece of paper. My vacation request.

"May I ask what this is?"

"My vacation request?" He nodded.

"You just got back to work a month ago, and here you're requesting four days off to go on a trip?"

"Yes sir, you see, um, I was stuck inside for most of that time and really need to get away. My friends and I were invited to go to Hollywood in a few weeks. My walking cast will be off by then."

"Does this have anything to do with Edward Cullen?" I blushed. Of course it had something to do with Edward. He's the one who sent us the tickets to the premier. I just nodded.

"Isabella, you know our rules. Employees of the Meadow Hotel and Suites do _not_ date guests."

"Mr. Morgan, Mr. Cullen and I are just friends. That's all we've ever been. I promise." He looked me in the face for a few minutes, trying to decide if I were telling the truth. Apparently I was.

"Alright. I guess it will be okay for you to go. Two of those days are your regular off days anyway." He stamped his approval and gave me a copy, waving me out of his office.

I skipped my workout and drove straight home. I had to tell Alice that my vacation was approved. She'd been working out with Jasper and rarely joined me anymore. I knew I'd find her home, trying to wake up after spending all night talking to Jasper. I knew it was just talking because they still hadn't progressed very far in the physical side of their relationship.

I was glad because Rosalie and Emmett had and Rose shared everything. There were no secrets where Rose was concerned. And she had no problem sharing how much she missed him.

I missed Edward very much, too. It helped a little that he called every day from the movie set, but it wasn't the same as when he was at my apartment every day, in the flesh. I'd been counting down the days to the premier ever since the tickets had arrived in the mail.

"Alice!" I yelled as soon as I had made it to my apartment and could breathe again. Yeah, I had the metal rods out, and my walking cast meant I could go back to work, but it was still a little painful to walk up two flights of stairs.

"Alice! Wake up! I have news!" I banged on her door before throwing it open. I didn't feel one bit guilty when I saw her snoring. She'd woke me up plenty of times. It was time for a little payback.

"Alice!"

"What?" She jerked up in bed, her short black hair sticking up everywhere.

"I've got great news."

"Mr. Morgan was hesitant about letting you go, but you did get the vacation?"

"How did you know?"

"I never doubted. I knew it would happen. He's way too gaga over movie stars to keep you from going to Hollywood. He wants to bring them in. Just you wait; he'll be asking you to do PR in Hollywood for him." I sat on the edge of the bed as she laid back down.

"You know what this means, right Bella?" Even half asleep her eyes glittered at me. I knew I was in trouble somehow.

"No, what does this mean?"

"There is no way you have anything to wear to a movie premier. This means we are going shopping. We can get some stuff in Seattle, but the dresses have to wait for Hollywood. Rodeo Drive, baby!" I smiled at her reference to _Pretty Woman_, her favorite movie.

As much as I hated having to go shopping, I knew that she was right. There was nothing in either Rosalie's or our closets suitable for a movie premier. I still couldn't believe that Edward had sent us four tickets so that Jasper could go, too.

He really was an amazing guy.

Alice groaned and rolled over, bringing me back to reality.

"Don't think that shopping has distracted me from the fact that you are waking me up an hour before time." I smacked her butt and walked to my room. I was too happy to really get into it with her. In three weeks I would see Edward and spend four wonderful days with my missing friend.

"Okay, so, how does it really feel to be back in the real world?" I asked the same question I always asked him.

"Weird. Forks is its own little bubble world. But I wouldn't call Hollywood the 'real world'." Edward chuckled. He was starting to stress over the premier of his last movie. I could tell because this was a more serious answer than usual.

"I hate all this, Bella. I just wish I were back in Forks with you guys and done with this."

"Aw, you'll be fine. You're just a little tired, that's all. You love acting, Edward and you're very good at it."

"Was that a compliment, Isabella?" I blushed, very glad he couldn't see me.

"Don't let it go to your head. I'm just repeating what every single magazine ever says about you."

"Are you saying you've never seen my movies? I know you aren't because we watched one together just before I left."

"Yeah, well, Rosalie and Alice were dying to let Jasper see you act since he hadn't. It wasn't my decision. I wanted to watch a horror movie."

"Not one for romantic dramas, are we?"

"Not really."

"But Alice said my movie was your favorite." Darn you Alice. He chuckled at me. I heard someone talk to him in the background.

"Sorry Bella, I gotta go. We're having some trouble figuring out a song to go with a scene and we have to reshoot it again. I wish we'd just lay it down for now and move on. We could search for the song without having to film it every single time. Our director is as stubborn as you."

"Shut up, Eddie." He growled at my use of Emmett's nickname for him. It had become a small habit to use it when I wanted to annoy him.

"Bye Bella, talk to you later." I sighed after we hung up.

I knew there was no point to it. Even if he did want to date me, he lived in a whole different world from me.

EPOV

I hung up with Bella and followed the assistant director over to the set. This was one of my favorite scenes from the book, but it was hard to concentrate. I had enjoyed my time in Forks too much and it was difficult to readjust.

Maybe the vacation wasn't long enough. It should not have irritated me this much that we had to reshoot a scene just because of the music issues. Normally I would be the one leading the search for the perfect song.

"Edward. Nice of you to join us. This scene is rotting away," Tanya Sadocha, my co-star said. She was Russian and tended to be overly dramatic when trying to remain in character. I was slightly calmed down after talking to Bella so I had gained back some of my temper. I had lost it a few minutes ago and had stormed off the set to call Bella.

I had woke her up, but she didn't mind. She could tell I needed to talk. It was amazing how close we'd become in the five weeks we'd known each other.

God I missed her so much. Why did I have to hold onto my aversion to long-distance relationships? I saw Emmett making a group of girls back out from the barriers and remembered. I had to hear him whine non-stop about how much he would rather be back in Forks with Rosalie. He hadn't even given another woman a second glance. Rose would never allow it anyway.

Three weeks and I could see Bella. I had the premier night all planned out. First dinner with the six of us. Then the movie, of course. After that I would take her walking around town, showing off the great city. I knew she wouldn't be interested in the shopping, but maybe she would like the walk of fame and some of the parks. Maybe even Amoeba, the greatest music store in the world.

"Edward, come. We must film this again. Maybe they will discover early that this is not the correct song for this scene. Maybe we can rehearse for a different one?" She flirted, winking at me.

"Not now, Tanya. This is a more intense scene, no flirting."

"Fine, but there are others…." She trailed off suggestively. I chuckled, shaking my head. After two movies we'd become best friends but sometimes it seemed she wanted more. And sometimes it seemed we were heading that direction. It was hard sometimes to distinguish on screen and off screen feelings.

God I missed Bella. That's how it had been since I've been back on set. The feeling of Bella would just overcome everything. My brain would scream out how much it missed Bella and that I was stupid for not kissing her the many opportunities I'd had.

I guess it would have been too hard to not see her if I had kissed her. It seemed like she agreed with me, because she would flinch away right when it seemed she most wanted to get closer. That premier couldn't get here soon enough.

Then, four days wouldn't be enough time with her, but I had to see her. I ran my hand through my hair and sighed. The director called us to get set up and we were off filming.

BPOV

Alice drug me through ten stores. Ten. We tried on all sorts of accessories to go with dresses we hadn't even seen yet.

"Perfect. That necklace will go very well."

"Alice, how can you know? There's no way you know which dress Rosalie will pick. Have you ever been to any of the stores on Rodeo Drive?"

"Bella, Alice probably has scoped out the dresses in their online stores," Rosalie answered. "Maybe we won't have to go to as many there as we do here."

"Yeah, maybe she'll go right to the one store with all three dresses and save our poor feet," I said, looking at Alice. She didn't hear us because she was engrossed in silver handbags. I looked at Rosalie and we spoke at the same time.

"Nah." We knew Alice would never let us go to only one store in LA. I would be lucky to get one day with Edward with Alice with me. She had turned to us and was holding up a tiny little silver purse with no shoulder strap. We walked over to join her.

"Okay Alice, here's the deal. One day."

"Huh?"

"You have one day to drag me shopping in LA. It can't be the first one or the last one."

"Actually, it can't be the one of the premier, either," Rosalie added.

"So, why didn't you just say it had to be the second day we were there? Relax Bella. Sometimes you can be so melodramatic." She rolled her eyes and linked arms with us after setting down the purse.

"Girls, we are going to a real, live, Hollywood movie premier. With movie stars."

"Well, Bella will be going with a movie star. We get a lawyer and a bodyguard," Rosalie laughed. We all burst out laughing, making the cashier stare at us. We paid for the few things we were able to find. Alice stressed to us that silver worked with everything so we were good.

"But what if I find a dress that's gold?" Rosalie asked.

"Not going to happen. Especially since you just spent two hundred dollars on silver jewelry," Alice pointed out. Rosalie just sighed. I was grateful that we'd all finally completed our purchases to Alice's satisfaction and we could go home.

It was a long ride back to Seattle. Alice had forced me out of bed at 4am, an insanely early time on my day off. Since my time off work I had had a lot of trouble getting back into the reversed nights and days so on my off-days I slept as late as possible.

Thankfully, I dozed off and didn't wake up until Rosalie slammed her door at her apartment complex.

"So, Bella, you planning to tell Edward?" Alice asked when we left Rose behind.

"Tell Edward what?" Alice sighed at my confusion.

"What you mumbled all the way from Seattle." I had a sinking suspicion that I knew what that was, but I didn't want Alice to know I remembered my dreams.

"And that was?"

"God, Bella," she sighed. "Why don't you get over yourself already and admit you're in love with him?"

"What?!"

"Come on, your dreams are the one place you can't hide how you really feel. The whole way you've been mumbling 'I love you Edward' over and over. You also told him to stay with you and not leave. Why can't you at least be honest with yourself?"

"It doesn't matter Alice. We live too far apart and he doesn't love me. Why does it matter how I feel about him?"

"Bella, were you not aware the five weeks he was here? Did you not hang out with him almost every day? How could you not see how he looked at you? How he talked to you? If you won't tell him, at least be honest with yourself. That's the first step."

"Fine. Yes, I really really really like Edward Cullen."

"Bella…" Alice said in a warning tone.

"Okay, I love him," I whispered, hoping she wouldn't really hear. Darn you pixie hearing.

"Great! That's one down, one to go!"

"You won't get it out him any time soon."

"I have my ways, dear Isabella, I have my ways," she threatened as we drove up to our apartment. I got out, grabbed my bags from the trunk, and followed her up the stairs.

Yes, I had finally admitted it. I really really really liked Edward. Of course, I never said anything to him. We both knew that neither one of us wanted a long distance relationship. But somehow, the distance only made me like him more. My feelings had not changed one bit, except to grow.

That was dangerous for me, considering our situation. My heart was already lost and it didn't seem like it was going to get any better any time soon.

**A/N: There is a chapter coming up within the next few that will make a lot of you really happy. However, it will take a while to write because I have to get someone else to write a certain scene in it. I write mainly from experience and have to get someone else to help me write an experience I've never had. **


	18. Chapter 18

**A/N: This chapter is filler. Answers a couple of questions a few readers had. I am not satisfied with how this chapter turned out, but what writer is satisfied with their work? I had to get them to Hollywood, though, and this chapter does it. Should be better once they are in Hollywood. Hopefully. Sad thing is, there probably isn't that many chapters left to this story. ******

**Also, there's a poll on my profile. Please check it out and let me know what you think.**

**Disclaimer: All things **_**Twilight**_** belong to Stephenie Meyer.**

Chapter 18

BPOV

"Come on, please? Please Edward?" I whined into the phone.

"Nope, not yet," he chuckled.

"Why not?"

"Because it isn't time, that's why," he whined back, matching my tone.

"But you're finished with it, right?"

"Yeah." I could almost see that mischievous grin on his face that matched that tone of voice.

"You said I could look at it once you were finished drawing it." I rolled my eyes at the phone.

"I changed my mind. You cannot lift the paper without me being there, and you cannot bring it to California with you. They would never let it on the plane."

"Edward." I whined again.

"Bella," he mocked.

"But when can I look at it? You're too busy to come visit and you can't keep me from it forever." I had been trying to convince him to let me look at what he'd drawn on my old cast.

"That's why Rosalie has it."

"Butthead."

"Did you just call me a butthead?"

"Yep," I said, blushing. Edward burst out laughing on the other end of the phone line.

"What? What's wrong with calling you a butthead? It's better than some other things you've been called, I bet."

"Yeah, but really? Butthead? What are you, five?"

"So I don't like to cuss unless I'm really mad. So what? And no, I'm 26, remember?"

"Bella, you never cease to amaze me." I was glad he wasn't there with me, because my face turned bright red. I tried so hard to ignore the butterflies and the way my heart clenched at his tone of voice. God I missed him so much.

"Sorry Bella, Tanya's calling. I gotta go. This scene is getting complicated. I probably won't be able to talk to you for the next few days. But when I can, it will be a long conversation. I'll need you to help relax me." He hung up before I could answer, someone girl yelling at him in the background.

A few days without talking to Edward? I know that I'll be seeing him in person soon, one week to be exact, but that would go by too slow without his velvety voice every day.

I turned off the movie I'd been watching when Edward had called. We'd had that conversation many times since he'd left. I really wanted to know what he'd drawn on my cast, but he kept quoting Jack Sparrow "Wait for the opportune moment." He must have known me too well to have called Rosalie to kidnap the cast once it was off and I brought it home.

EPOV

"Cut! Cut, cut, cut! Edward, what's going on? Tanya, you know this! This is the third movie, guys! And both of you are acting like amateurs or something! Take thirty minutes and come back," the director cursed.

I ran my hand through my hair and stalked off to my trailer, Tanya following. We often hung out in her trailer or mine in between scenes. Sometimes it was awkward, like if we just filmed a love scene between our characters. It would be so easy to fall into that trap and continue the scene.

Easy, but not who I wanted to be kissing right now. I sat at the table, silently letting Tanya know there would be no extra practice today. I could tell she was confused. I had kept to myself and away from her since returning from Forks, and she was dying to know why.

I couldn't tell her that I had fallen in love with a girl I'd known for just five weeks, now could I? Especially not since that girl barely tolerated me as a friend. I really wanted to kiss Bella goodbye before I left, but could tell her hesitation was not just because she was not used to being kissed. Her hesitation also didn't seem to have much to do with the fact that I would be in another state most of the time.

"Edward, why won't you talk to me?" Tanya said, sitting down across from me. There was hurt in her eyes, and it bothered me to know I had put it there.

"It's not important, Tanya. It has nothing to do with you, so don't look so hurt."

"I can't help it. I miss the old Edward," she pouted, sticking out her lower lip. That only reminded me of how Bella used to bite her lower lip a lot when she was concentrating on something really hard. Or was absorbed in whatever was going on.

I really wanted to call her. But I didn't have time for what I really wanted to say. How could one little girl flip my world around so quickly and so completely? Well, not "little girl", she was three years older than me, as she liked to point out. Was that why she pulled away from me so much? Could three little years be so important to her? I hoped not.

One week to go before I saw her, and if it went slow, I'd explode. At this rate, I'll probably end up pulling an Emmett and Rosalie and kissing Bella senseless the second she gets off the plane. Would she enjoy that as much as I would? I hoped so.

I just wasn't sure.

The director's assistant knocked on the door and called out for us to get a move on. Our thirty minutes were up.

"This conversation is not over, Edward. I will find out where my Edward went and who replaced him with this depressed one. At least let him come out to play during the shoots, okay?" Tanya winked at me.

"I'll try," I winked back. There were those blurring lines again. No wonder movie stars couldn't stay married very long. We were taught to become our characters and if our characters were in love with other characters, then it was easy for the actors to fall in love with each other as well.

Tanya knew that I had ended up dating actresses from all of my other movies, and she figured it was simply a matter of time before I gave in and dated one from this series of movies.

BPOV

"Calm down, Alice, honey," Jasper said, laying his hand on her shoulder. We were at the airport, waiting to board the plane, but Alice couldn't sit still.

"Come on, Jazzy, this is Hollywood we're talking about! And I'm going! The walk of fame, the shops, the movie stars, the back lots, the shops!" She went to bouncing in her seat again. I rolled my eyes and went back to reading.

I was trying to distract myself from my own excitement and she wasn't helping at all. Rose was calmer than Alice, though she was just as excited to see Emmett. In just a few hours I would be seeing Edward. My heart clinched as I thought about seeing him again.

I had taken to watching the entertainment channels and websites just for a chance to see something new about him. As he warned, I hadn't talked to him at all this past week. I knew from the movie website that they were struggling over getting certain scenes just right. The fans were demanding it and the author of the books wanted to make sure the fans were happy.

I devoured everything I could get to that mentioned Edward. I tried looking for any changes from the past weeks, but saw very little differences. I guess I unconsciously expected him to have slipped back into movie star mode and want nothing to do with me. Even over the phone he seemed different, distant somehow, except for rare times when that façade slipped and I heard how stressed he was.

"All first class passengers for Flight 352 to Los Angeles please make your way to the boarding gate." The call sounded over the speakers, making Alice squeal and jump up. Jasper put a hand on her shoulder, trying to calm her again. It usually worked. His touch always made her feel better she said, but she was way too wound up for anything but LA to help.

Edward had given us first class tickets, something I had protested at first.

"Isabella, don't. Stop being stubborn and accept this. Good deed number 8," he laughed, reverting to our old joke.

"I'll accept them only if you let me peek at my drawing," I countered.

"Bella, no. You have to wait for the opportune moment."

"Whatever, Captain Sparrow." In the end, Rosalie had walked in, heard the argument and snatched them from my hands. She wasn't going to give them back until we got to the airport so I couldn't trade them in or send them back. Edward just laughed.

"I knew there was a reason I let Emmett date her," he joked.

I was so glad I was sitting with Rosalie. Rose was glad that we were sitting together, too. It bothered her sometimes that Alice had Jasper with her everyday and she could only talk to Emmett on the phone. What bothered me was that they both could freely tell the ones they loved how they felt. It still felt awkward for me just to tell Edward I missed him.

Every conversation we had it was getting harder and harder not to blurt out the truth and just let things go where they would. It would be a cop out, since it wouldn't be a face-to-face conversation so I wouldn't have to deal with face-to-face rejection. But it would be a whole lot easier than watching Edward's beautiful lips tell me that he hated me.

I spent the rest of the flight reading my book around answering Alice's comments thrown excitedly over the seat in front of us while reassuring Rose that Edward said he gave Emmett the weekend off so he could spend some time with her without all of us hanging around.

Finally, we landed in LA. My stomach twisted in knots. Would he really be there? Was he regretting asking me to be his date? Was I his date for the premier? He was in Hollywood for five days, the director having called a break because of several premiers happening this week. Would he be happy to see me?

The plane inched towards the terminal, and I tensed up.

"Calm down, Bella. We won't get there any faster with you pushing the plane," Jasper laughed. He had leaned around the aisle seat to talk to us. I looked down to my feet where he was looking and blushed scarlet. I was so tense my feet were pushing on the floor as if there were gas pedals there.

I tried to relax, but only succeeded in letting out my tension on my fingernails. I had been trying not to bite them, hoping for pretty nails for the premier, but they were quickly reduced to stubs. Ouch.

The plane taxied to the terminal and finally stopped; the captain turned off the seatbelt sign and I jumped up, knocking into Rosalie's head.

"Ouch! Bella!"

"Sorry, Rose," I blushed and sat back down. She smirked at me knowingly.

"We all know how _eager _you are to see 'Richard', but taking my head off isn't going to get you to him any faster." We only used Edward's alias now when Alice or Rose were teasing me about him, and it suddenly dawned on me that Rose knew! Alice had obviously gotten Rosalie back for finding out about Edward first. She probably had rubbed it in Rose's face that she heard me say I loved Edward first.

I glared at her and then at the back of Alice's seat.

"Will you please relax? You're making me nervous."

"Sorry, I just don't know what will happen. I mean, he's had a few weeks back in Hollywood, and what if he's forgotten me?"

"Bells trust me and Alice. We saw the same news footage that you saw. He barely touched any girls and his smile so did not reach his eyes. They definitely weren't sparkling like they did when he looked at you."

"Is she still stressing over this?" Alice peeped her head over the seat. Rosalie nodded. Alice rolled her eyes.

"I've told you a hundred times, Bella. Trust me, I got this. We are going to find you the best dress ever, and not even Tanya Sadocha will be able to turn his head from you." This time I rolled my eyes.

"Alice, you are what's worrying me. I want to know what you have planned."

"Nope, not gonna happen. Just remember who got him to confess when it comes time for the wedding plans."

Our banter was interrupted by our release from the plane. I needed fresh air and a chance to stretch my legs badly. I really wanted to get both before I saw Edward, and actually hoped that maybe he and Emmett were delayed and we got all the way outside before we saw them.

We exited the plane, Alice jumping as she skipped, Jasper barely keeping her at his side. Even if they weren't delayed, I wasn't expecting to see Edward until we were outside of the security area. However, Emmett's booming laughter met us as soon as we entered the hallway that was connected to the plane's door. Rosalie was now the one being held back since we didn't want the other first class passengers in front of us to know we were small towners.

Not even Emmett himself would have had enough strength to hold her back once we rounded a corner and caught a glimpse of the inside of LAX. She jerked her hand from me and politely swerved through the crowd in front of us.

Truthfully, I could hardly keep myself from joining her. I entered the airport behind Jasper and Alice and immediately saw Rose being swung in the air by a gleaming Emmett. Those around them were laughing, caught up in the happy reunion. I glanced around, looking for Edward, trying to hide my disappointment when I didn't see him.

"Why, hello, beautiful, you come here often?" A velvet voice whispered in my ear as an arm wrapped around my waist. I turned around to find his emerald eyes just inches from mine.

"Why no, this is my first time here. I wanted to get away and randomly picked LA."

"Well this must be my lucky day. You doing anything Saturday night?"

"Um, I'd have to check my calendar, but I think I'm free."

"Great, then we've got us some plans!" Edward slipped into a hillbilly accent there at the end, ruining the intense flirting moment. I nearly doubled over in laughter at his ridiculousness. Edward's arms held me upright.

The boys grabbed our bags from the luggage carousel and we followed Emmett outside to a waiting limo. I raised my eyebrows at Edward. As uptight as he'd been in Forks about keeping a low profile, he rode in a limo in LA? He seemed to have read my mind when he answered.

"This is LA, Bella. Most of these people are so used to seeing celebrities that word would spread faster if I didn't ride in a limo."

The driver put our bags in the trunk and the front seat (since Alice could never learn to be a light packer), and we all piled into the back. Alice was still bouncing around, moving from window to window as we drove through Hollywood. Bouncing, but actually speechless.

Emmett and Rosalie were hardly able to keep their hands and their lips off each other now that we were in relative privacy. I held in my comments, just glad that Rosalie was happy right now. Four days was not a long time period.

I felt Edward's eyes on me as I stared out the window, and really couldn't keep my eyes from his for very long. There was deep emotion in them that I couldn't identify, but that made me blush more each time our eyes met. He currently had my hand secured in both of his. I tried not to analyze his actions, just elated that he was close enough for me to touch.

We'd had an early flight, and when we arrived at the hotel, it was still early enough to relax before doing anything. Emmett and Rosalie had their own room, Jasper and Edward shared a suite, and Alice and I shared a suite. Edward had a house in Beverly Hills, but said he wanted to stay with us while we were in town. If he could afford it, why question him?

Edward and Jasper had bonded over the four and a half weeks they knew each other and were now almost like brothers. Edward said he preferred to share a room with someone, and Alice and Jasper weren't sharing how progressed they were in their relationship yet. Edward and I had decided to take the safe route until we heard from either of them and he had an extra room reserved for me, just in case.

Alice had answered our question by grabbing a key and asking me which room I wanted in the suite. Jasper automatically went with Edward. Guess they were keeping that a secret a while longer. Thank God. One obvious friend was enough for me.

"So guys, what are we doing today?" Edward asked, gathering in mine and Alice's room after we'd all unpacked. He sat on the couch next to me and looked around at us.

"Bella and Rosalie forbade any shopping until tomorrow," Alice pouted. "So I don't have any ideas."

"Edward, you live here, why don't you tell us what we should do?" Rosalie said, sitting in Emmett's lap.

"Let's do Hollywood," Edward said simply and grabbed my hand. He pulled me up and Alice cheered, leading the way out the door.

**A/N: Okay, should I get to the premier in the next chapter, or do you want a little bit of what they do in Hollywood? Either way, the premier might just end up being split in two chapters. **

**Oh, and, if you want to be happy very soon, go to NewDayofFire's profile and send her a ton of PMs requesting that she hurry up and write a certain scene for me. She'll know what you mean. Just tell her I sent ya. **


	19. Chapter 19

**A/N: Wow, something very good must be happening soon. Edward was very excited to start this chapter to get it out of the way. His voice has been running through my head since I posted the last chapter. **

**Here is a little bit of Hollywood. I tried to fit in their day of shopping, but it didn't work. Gosh, I try to move on, but the story just won't hurry. I'm eager to get to the premier, but I think the characters want to drag out their time together.**

**Disclaimer: All things **_**Twilight**_** belong to Stephenie Meyer.**

Chapter 19

EPOV

I was enjoying myself a little too much. Actually, Emmett and I both were. Our guests were such tourists.

We were currently walking down Hollywood Boulevard, home of the famous Walk of Fame, headed for the even more famous Grauman's Chinese Theatre. In front of that theatre is where so many celebrities among celebrities have left their mark in cement.

Well, I say walking, but that's an exaggeration. Every few feet someone saw a star they just had to stop at. It was taking forever to walk a block, and this was just stars with names over them.

"How do you think they'll act once we get to the theatre?" Emmett whispered, snickering.

"Like fools, hopefully. You still have that security camera operator connection?" He grinned widely and nodded. This would be good. Fodder for teasing for months!

Bella squealed at Alice to join her a few feet ahead of where Rosalie and Jasper had been talking to her a few feet ahead of Emmett and me. I couldn't help but shake my head. I had never heard Bella squeal like a girl until we started passing things she recognized, such as Hollywood and Vine.

"Oh my God, Audrey Hepburn!" Alice screeched. I rolled my eyes and adjusted my hat on my head.

Bella had continued to insist that my hat and glasses wouldn't disguise a ninja, but in LA that hardly mattered. The main thing was not to draw purposeful attention to myself and keep a bodyguard nearby. Bella, Alice, and Rosalie's squeals kept any attention on the obvious tourists. No one felt comfortable enough to look too closely at our group and the movie star trailing along behind them.

Jasper had long since given up on trying to shush the girls since no one had even glanced twice at me and Emmett felt perfectly okay with encouraging and teasing the girls.

Jasper was trying to reign in his excitement, but the girls' moods were getting to him, I could tell. It was his first time to Hollywood, too. He'd found John Wayne and Gene Autry's stars earlier and had blissfully stared at Gene's for 15 minutes while Alice took advantage and drug the rest of us into a tourist trap of a souvenir shop.

I was anxious to move on to other things, and slightly annoyed by Bella's distraction from me. I stepped up my pace to catch up to where they were still looking at Hepburn's star.

"Bella," I said, trying to get her attention. It didn't work, she kept whispering to Rosalie. "Bella, lo—um, look, Bella." Whoa! I almost slipped up there. "Love" is not a nickname you call your friends. Thankfully she didn't seem to notice.

"Hm?" She finally glanced up at me, her deep brown eyes alive with excitement.

"Look, we're really close to the Chinese Theatre's Forecourt, you know, where the hand and footprints are? Don't you want to see them?" I took her hand and pointed ahead along the sidewalk. You couldn't see anything special yet, just a bunch of people milling around, and a gap in the buildings that stood so close to the road where we were. In that open area were the theatre and the concrete signatures. She looked where I was pointing.

"Sorry, Mr. Impatient. It's just kind of surreal to be here," she said, flushing a little and walking forward.

"I thought you didn't get star struck?" I chuckled. She glared at me. Apparently, I'd caught her in something. Was it just me she wasn't impressed by? It had seemed from many comments in Forks that she thought that celebrity for celebrity sake was wrong, and that people had to really earn respect. It took more than just acting in a movie to earn real respect.

"I don't get star struck. But these are amazing actors and actresses we're talking about here. Audrey Hepburn, Clark Gable, Fred Astaire, Greer Garson, Humphrey Bogart. These are classics. Not like most of the so-called celebrities now a days."

"Hm? So-called celebrities?" I asked, raising my eyebrows. She blushed deeper. I loved it when she did that, but I really wanted to know what she really thought of me. It'd been too long since I had been privileged to hear her talking in her sleep.

"Not you, Edward. You know what I mean," she said, looking away from me.

I still didn't even know what she thought of me as an actor, and her opinion was very important to me. Sure, I'd starred in her favorite movie, but she'd slyly, or shyly, avoided all comments about my acting. Even direct questions went unanswered.

Emmett and I were finally able to drag the others away from the stars to the real fun at Grauman's Chinese Theatre and its Forecourt that held the concrete reminders of so many stars that had passed through.

This place always got to me and reminded me of my love, no my _passion_, for acting. Those who had become so many more characters that had reached through the screen and the radio and the stage to sink their claws into so many hearts. Clichéd, I know, but that's always how I felt when I visited.

I stepped away from Bella, letting her move at her own pace. I moved to stand in my greatest influence's footsteps. I had a few favorites from music and acting, but Cary Grant was definitely my secret favorite. I eventually turned to look for Bella.

It was a Thursday and not quite time for summer vacation, so the area wasn't as crowded as normal. It was filling up quickly, though, since it was the evening and the people watchers were coming out.

Emmett and Rosalie were glued together and Alice and Jasper were taking funny pictures with their favorites. I finally spotted Bella, beautiful as always, her face only slightly marred by a frown. She was walking from stone to stone, examining them and laughing at some, but also keeping the frown on her face. I wondered what was upsetting her.

As I watched her, I thought about how she was the reason I was enjoying myself so much. Her laugh and excitement were infectious as she saw Hollywood and LA for the first time.

Bella in Forks was beautiful and captivating, sure. Bella in Hollywood was radiant and the strongest magnet in the world.

She seemed to fit seamlessly into my world, accepting Hollywood as it was, no verbal questions asked. I wondered if it was because she was on a trip and simply going with the flow of a vacation, or if she really fit in. It might also be because I wanted her in my world so desperately.

But I had no right to ask her to be a part of my world. No right to pull her away from her friends and job and family. I didn't even know if she would even want me in _her_ world.

She caught my eye and waved me over, her frown replaced by a small smile. I smiled back and joined her at Doris Day's stone.

"I don't think Audrey Hepburn has a stone, Edward," she said, explaining her frown.

BPOV

"No, Emmett, I am not just stuffing this thing in my mouth," Rose snarled. "Get me a freaking fork!" Emmett hung his head and complied.

We were eating a late lunch at Tommy's World Famous Burgers. Edward had tried to convince Emmett not to press it, but he'd insisted. It was his favorite place to eat, he said.

"They can't visit Hollywood without eating at Tommy's," he whined. Rosalie, of course, supported him, not knowing what that would mean. She continued even after Edward warned her.

"Edward, you're both going to show us a few favorite places, and now it's Emmett's turn," she'd said, rewarded by a gleaming Emmett smile.

"Don't say I didn't warn you," was Edward's only reply. The rest of us had watched the exchange with curiosity. What could be so objectionable about a burger place?

Chili. Tommy's sold _chili_ cheeseburgers. HUGE chili cheeseburgers that even Emmett should have cut in half. But of course he didn't and chili dripped everywhere when he finally bit into his burger.

Alice had had to get a fork as well, while Edward and Jasper picked up half of their burgers and dug in, trying to keep more chili on the burger than themselves.

I stared at mine, considering a fork, too. It had been a while since my clumsy nature had caused a major incident, and I didn't want to tempt fate with chili. Edward seemed to know what I was thinking. He caught my eyes and raised his eyebrows at me, his lips covered in chili. His eyes narrowed, the emeralds daring me to just take a big ole bite.

I picked up a half and looked at it, watching chili drip down to the paper basket of fries that I'd never have room for. Chili, I liked. Cheeseburgers, I also liked. Definitely separately, but together? I didn't know.

Emmett and Alice returned as I was contemplating. I could feel all five pairs of eyes watching me, but I tried to ignore them. I was the most tomboyish of the three girls and Rosalie and Alice were waiting for my reaction. If I couldn't even take a bite, then they wouldn't attempt it, either. They were both headstrong and brave, but very ladylike and fashion-conscious. That was made worse by the presence of their boyfriends.

I continued to ignore their stares. I weighed my growling stomach against my already low self-esteem when it came to Edward. How would he feel if I had chili dripping off my face? Sure, chili on his lips made me just want to kiss it off, but chili on my plain face would be different.

My stomach growled again and Edward's eyes still challenged me. So I went for it. Even in halves, it was still a big burger. I managed to keep chili off my clothes, but I could feel it all over my cheeks. Trying to ignore my flaming cheeks, I chewed thoughtfully for a few moments, also trying to ignore the strained giggles from my friends. I wiped my mouth with a napkin, no hopes of getting all of the chili without a mirror, and drank some Coke.

"It's okay, I guess. I've had better, but I've also had worse." Edward burst out laughing but I just took another messy bite. Everyone else boomed their laughter too, and the temperature in my cheeks went up a few notches.

My friends dug in, apparently encouraged by the lack of interest from our fellow diners. We stood at the stool less bar, joking, laughing, and eating while the sun headed for the horizon. Our late lunch was more like dinner. I tried to wipe off the chili between bites, but only succeeded in keeping the mess to a minimum.

We started getting tired from all the walking and sunshine and found ourselves wishing Tommy had decided to have stools for his outside bar. Edward had one more place he wanted to show us. He apparently had the whole weekend planned out, and Alice's shopping had actually been included. We had wasted a little too much time, but this place was _his_ place to show us.

"I know Alice was forbidden to go shopping until tomorrow, but I think even Bella would make an exception for this store," he said, smirking at me. I ignored him, struggling to wipe off my face and make sure I got it all. Emmett was trying to direct me, unsuccessfully, no surprise.

We were all finished, and we were just waiting for me. Edward must have been really impatient because he grabbed my face and a wetnap from Alice and proceeded to wipe off my face.

I was trying not to hyperventilate. His face was so close. His emerald eyes were too intense as he concentrated on my face. He leaned in closer, his hand motions slowing. His eyes darkened. And a police siren once again broke the mood. It was really close on the road and startled us as it was my turn to jump away.

"Stupid police sirens," I thought I heard Edward whisper as he turned towards Emmett's Jeep.

We headed back to Hollywood Boulevard and Vine Street. Edward drove onto Vine St and parked in a private, gated parking lot and we started walking.

"More walking Edward?" Alice whined.

"Here, Alice, climb on," Jasper said, bending down so she could climb on his back.

"No, baby, I'm okay. These new shoes will definitely be broken in by the time we get back to the hotel," she said. Alice seemed delicate, but she preferred to walk on her own as long as she could. Jasper stood up, smiled down at her, and took her hand. They were so cute together.

I looked over and saw Rosalie and Emmett cuddling together as they walked, whispering quietly. Edward kept a careful no-contact space between us, and we walked in silence, comfortable, but silence still.

I breathed the air in deeply. It was surreal. Just that morning I was in Forks, WA. Dull, boring, and green. Now, here I was in Hollywood, with Edward, walking down Sunset Boulevard. Wait.

I was walking on _Sunset Boulevard?!_ That road sign definitely said I was! Calm down, Bella! It's just a road! Edward was right, you are acting star struck.

I held my breath, waiting for Alice or Rosalie to realize where we were.

"How long do you think it will take them to notice?" Edward asked me, his hot breath sweeping across my face.

"How did you know I'd noticed?"

"Your eyes are sparkling and your head whipped up to read that street sign quite obviously," he whispered, moving a lot closer to me. Now we were walking closely enough that our hands occasionally brushed against each other. Oh God I wished he'd hold my hand! Just any concrete physical touching would be great. This teasing, brushing thing was killing me. I fought another blush away.

"Hey, Eddie, what's the name of this road again?" Emmett suddenly asked a bit too loudly. Edward glared at him for a split second for the nickname. Rose was temporarily distracted from Emmett's question, but Alice's head whipped up to read the closest street sign.

"Sunset Boulevard? Sunset Boulevard! Rose, Bell, we're walking along _Sunset Boulevard_!" She'd thrown out her hands and had hit Jasper hard in the stomach, coaxing a whoosh of breath from him.

"Relax, Alice. It's just West Sunset," Jasper pointed out once he could talk again.

"Jazz, hush. Don't burst my bubble. West Sunset obviously runs into Sunset, right Edward, Emmett?" Edward nodded.

"Eventually." Alice squealed and suddenly jumped into the road.

"Alice, what the heck?!" Jasper yelled, grabbing her back onto the sidewalk.

"I just wanted to stand on Sunset Boulevard," Alice pouted. "I made sure no cars were close." Jasper grasped his nose with his thumb and forefinger and shook his head. He latched onto her hand again and wasn't letting go. Alice was a bit too unpredictable for her own good sometimes.

We continued on, but apparently not fast enough for Edward, once again. He grabbed my hand and pulled me along faster. He must have been very excited for the shopping ahead. My heart sputtered from its normal rhythm at his touch. He was holding my hand.

We had casually touched a few times in Forks, but I didn't think I'd ever get used to how his skin made mine feel. Especially now that I had admitted to myself and Alice how I really felt about him.

There were stores everywhere on both sides of the street now. Most of them were stores we had back in Seattle or even Port Angeles, and that was all that kept Alice's hand in Jasper's. There were more cars and people on the street and sidewalk now.

The largest amount of people were coming and going from a huge store on a street corner on our side of the road. I was distracted from the name of the store by everything that was going on around us. And then I noticed it.

"Amoeba! Edward, is this where we're going?" I screeched, jumping up and down. He smiled his crooked smile and nodded. Now it was me pulling him along with me.

Amoeba is the best music store ever. They have such a wide range of music and music memorabilia from both current and classic music. I could spend days looking at just what they had online and that's with search parameters in place. I was so going to drain my bank account on this trip.

We didn't make it back to the hotel until midnight. We'd "done Hollywood" for fourteen hours. Alice had given in and allowed Jasper to carry her since she now had blisters from her new shoes.

Rosalie and Alice had finally seen me enjoy shopping and they were pleased, even if it wasn't for clothes. It encouraged them for the torture for tomorrow. We had plans to go to the Beverly Center, the Third Street Promenade in Santa Monica, and Rodeo Drive, of course. Good thing my tennis shoes were already broken in.

**A/N: I have been to Hollywood before, but it was only once, and it was back in 2003, so many things in these chapters may not be quite correct. I tried to get as close to correct as I could, however. I did rearrange some of the locations of the stars, for instance Audrey Hepburn's star is actually on Vine St and not Hollywood Blvd. This was on purpose. If you see a gross error, please let me know so I can correct it. Thanks.**

**Shopping and hopefully the first part of the premier in the next chapter. **

**It's winding down, and I'm gonna try to keep it less than 25 chapters, just to let you know. **


	20. Chapter 20

**A/N: I am now registered to be a beta! I love editing! So, if you want me to be your beta, go to my profile and let me know! I'm so excited.**

**Okay, since I promised shopping and the first part of the premier in this chapter, it's a long one. That's also why it's taken so long to put it up. Hope you enjoy it. Like I said, they just aren't wanting to cooperate and move it along. They want to delay and talk too much and make me write longer chapters just to fulfill my promises. I'll show them! Edward Cullen will not triumph over me! **

**Okay, I've been arguing with fictional people in my head way too long. Here it is. **

**Disclaimer: All things **_**Twilight**_** belong to Stephenie Meyer.**

Chapter 20

BPOV

I woke up the next morning with a smile already on my face. My dreams had been full of Edward and I alone, and I had been the one to wipe that chili off his face yesterday…with my lips. I really really really wanted him to kiss me, and couldn't help but think that we'd been interrupted twice. Was that was he going to do before the stupid siren went off?

I was glad no one was there to hear whatever I'd said in my sleep that night.

I rolled over and yelled my frustration into the pillow. Why did we have to be in such different leagues? I knew I needed to get up and get ready for the hours of torture today, but I couldn't help but take a few minutes to think.

What was I really doing here? On the surface, I had come to support my new friend on his big day, er, evening. I hadn't even hesitated when he'd invited me. I hadn't expected to feel so at home here, though. We'd been friends for almost three months now, but it felt like so much longer. Edward was an amazing guy, and I really missed him when he wasn't around, and that feeling grew stronger every day. It was almost painful at this point, and he was just across the hall from me.

I groaned into my pillow and Alice burst into the room, interrupting my musing.

"Bells! Get your butt up now! We've got one day only to find the three perfect dresses for the premier tomorrow night."

"Do you ever just walk somewhere? Do you have to bounce and burst in everywhere?" I asked, my voice muffled by my pillow. She just huffed and threw something at me.

"Get up, take a shower, and put that on. We've got so many shops to go to and so little time! At least you're already awake." She slammed my door, waking me up the rest of the way.

I processed the time on my clock. Seven am? How in the world had I woken up on my own at 7am, much less with a smile on my face? I thought last night I'd have to drag my weary butt out of bed after all the walking we did yesterday.

I did as Alice said and got ready for the day. I ignored what she'd thrown at me to wear until I was ready to put it on.

"Alice! What the heck? Why am I wearing a dress to go shopping?" I yelled. It was a small summer dress with little straps and a flared skirt.

"Because Bella, we're going shopping on _Rodeo Drive_. Haven't you seen _Pretty Woman_? You can't even walk on the street unless you look a certain way. You have to look like you belong there. You'd never look that way in your clothes," Alice yelled back through the door. I rolled my eyes and put on the dress.

I had seen the movie and I guessed she was right. Not that I would ever be able to buy anything from any store there anyway. Alice and Rosalie had money from their parents, money that would be readily available to them until they finally graduated for the last time. They would be buying expensive dresses, I knew.

Alice had tried to convince me to let her buy my dress, too. We were going to a premier of a much anticipated, and therefore very popular, movie, after all. My reasoning was that no one would be looking at me on the red carpet and no one would ask _me_ who I was wearing. It didn't really matter how much my dress cost as long as it was appropriate.

Alice agreed with me, however reluctantly. I was allowed to buy my own dress. My reasoning also led Alice and Rosalie to decide to buy black dresses instead of eye-catching colors. They would both be stunning even in burlap, of course, but I was the only one of us who would have a movie star as my date. If anyone should wear flashy it should be me, though I would choose a black dress as well.

Attention and clumsiness did not go well together.

I had seen a few red carpet functions, and the unknown dates always walked demurely and silently by the side of their celebrity but slightly behind them. Edward had stuttered and blushed his way through my instructions for the premier and they matched what I had already observed.

The media would be expecting his date to be Tanya Sodocha, his co-star. He would have to spend some time signing autographs and taking pictures with her before he could go inside the theatre. I had offered to ride with and stick to the others, but he wouldn't hear of it.

"Isabella, you are my date. I expect you to be by my side the whole walk down the carpet. Forget the media. They'll get their pictures and be happy, I promise." He'd smiled at me and calmed my anxiety about the night. A little.

Alice was in such a hurry to get shopping that we didn't even eat breakfast with the guys, so my day started off with just a two-second glimpse of Edward as Alice grabbed the rental keys from Jasper. He smiled at me, but for some reason it didn't reach his eyes. I didn't get to ask him what was wrong, though.

Our first stop was Rodeo Drive, of course. Alice couldn't contain her excitement long enough to leave that for last. She was pushing on imaginary gas pedals in the front floorboard as Rose navigated through the heavy traffic. There was no way I was getting behind the wheel of a vehicle in LA traffic.

Rosalie finally parked and we had our first view of the famed Rodeo Drive.

"That's it?" Alice said.

"That's what, three blocks?" Rosalie asked.

Rodeo Drive was a beautiful little street, but the shops only lasted about three or four blocks. The rest of it moved on into a residential neighborhood. I tried hard to contain my laughter at the disappointment on their faces, but it was a struggle.

"At least they have great stores," Rosalie reasoned, trying to comfort Alice.

"And you can get finished here faster and move on to another place," I tried. Alice turned her tear filled blue eyes to me. I felt bad for her. Imagine waiting your whole life for something and when you get it, you find out it's just a star with a name written over it. I'd felt that way yesterday when I hadn't seen Audrey Hepburn's hand and foot prints at the theatre.

I reached over and tucked her under my chin. Even with as short as I was, I only had to lift my chin a little for her to fit. She breathed in deeply and seemed to set her shoulders.

"Well girls, come on. We've got some shopping to do!" And we were off.

The small number of shops made Alice determined to visit all of them. Neiman Marcus was where both Alice and Rosalie found their dresses.

It was the last store we went into and Rosalie was discouraged. She'd never tried on so many dresses before that disappointed her so much. She usually looked amazing in everything, but no dresses so far had made her feel amazing. That all changed at Neiman Marcus.

I'd been casually glancing over the selections at each of the stores. Without price tags I still knew I couldn't even afford to breathe the air in Armani, Dior, or Prada. Alice and Rose had about four bags each.

I was sitting in a cozy armchair when Rosalie stepped out in her chosen dress. It was perfect for her. It was a floor length, black, chiffon gown with thin straps in a v-neck. The outer layer of the dress flowed out from her body as she walked. Her face glowed as she admired herself in the three-paned mirror and she and Alice proclaimed that her premier dress.

She didn't want to take it off, and a bit of jealousy flared when she didn't even flinch at the thousand dollar price tag.

Alice's dress was even more expensive. She hadn't tried on as many dresses as Rosalie, knowing that she'd find it at first sight. It was black velvet, floor length, with a high hexagon-shaped neckline that was edged with delicate silver beading. The beading went all the way around the neckline, under her arms, and to the back. My thought was that her arms would be rubbed raw by the time the night was over. But I knew jealousy had flared again.

My friends had both found amazing dresses to make them even more amazing looking, and I would pale in comparison to them. In fact, I would be the plain odd man out when the guys were added to the group. It saddened me beyond anything. I hadn't dealt with this much inferiority hanging out with them back in Forks.

But I knew I didn't belong on that red carpet and they did.

Our next stop was the Third Street Promenade in Santa Monica. There weren't the upscale shops of Rodeo Drive, but I enjoyed myself more there.

A whole street had been blocked off from cars, allowing the pedestrians to have their time. It was said that "no one walks in LA", but that didn't apply here.

Antique shops, book stores, memorabilia stores of all genres joined pop icon stores such as The Gap, Pottery Barn, Banana Republic, and the Disney Store. Street performers were evenly spaced along the middle bench areas, slyly watching to see who was watching them so they could persuade them for money.

"Don't look them directly in the eye, and don't take any pictures," Rosalie warned us. "Emmett said they will demand payment if you look for too long."

We stopped for lunch at Broadway Deli and people watched while we ate. I really wanted to visit the wide beach that we'd caught glimpses of while driving, but Alice was hyperventilating that we still hadn't found my dress. We were supposed to meet up with the guys at five and it was one already.

"We have to make the rounds here to see if there's a suitable store that Bella could afford, and if not, we need to book it to the Beverly Center. They have a few good places we could try."

The Promenade didn't produce anything, so we were off again to the Beverly Center. Alice's panic grew as we approached, and she dashed to a map the second we got out of the car. We knew she was serious because she liked to take her time and choose a store by its window display. She chose a store this time by its proximity to the entrance.

"Calvin Klein?" I asked doubtfully once we'd reached the store. Rosalie rolled her eyes and pulled me in behind a commentless Alice. They immediately started grabbing dresses and flung them over my arms. The sales women were waved away since Alice knew exactly what she was looking for. I was ushered to the changing rooms and ordered to try them on while my friends critiqued and occasionally added a dress to the pile.

"Too short."

"Too long."

"Too poofy."

"Too flat."

"No movement."

"Too tight."

"Too big."

One by one my pile depleted. I was grateful because I hadn't felt comfortable in any of them so far. They hadn't stuck to all black dresses, either. It finally came down to a choice between two. It was almost 4:30 so it had to be one or the other. No time for shopping tomorrow.

I liked both of them equally, so it didn't really matter to me which one I bought. They were both over $300, but under $400, so just in my price range. The first one was floor length and white with a black lace pattern that covered from the area of my knees down to the bottom of the dress. It was beautiful and I would stand out among a sea of black. It would be like a spot light was trained on me.

The second was a black, floor length, wrap front dress with short sleeves. It brought attention to my body since the wrap was placed directly at my waist and accentuated my chest. I was afraid that it would come untied at any moment and I'd end up flashing everyone. No way that'd stay out of the papers.

"Bella, which do you like?" Alice finally asked my opinion?

"Neither," I replied too quickly. Rosalie rolled her eyes.

"Which one do you like the best?" Alice clarified. I thought about it some more. The white dress would stand out more, and the wrap dress could be extra secured with a safety pin from Alice's ever-present sewing kit.

"This one," I said, earning big smiles from my friends. I changed back into my clothes and we rushed back to the hotel to drop off our purchases and meet the guys.

The guys had spent all day being lazy and checking out some of the amenities of the hotel, so they were ready to get out and go somewhere. We girls had spent two days on our feet and just wanted to relax. So we compromised and just went out to dinner and then hung out in the hotel pool and Jacuzzi.

"So Edward, do you have one of these in your house?" I asked him slyly. He rolled his eyes and shook his head no.

"What? As much as you had to have one at our hotel, you mean to tell me you actually don't have one in your Hollywood mansion?" I asked incredulously.

"Nope, I don't really spend that much time there, to tell you the truth. I've thought about renovating it, but with just me living there occasionally, it isn't worth it." I just laughed at the irony. He splashed me and hit Alice instead.

The Jacuzzi was large and Edward's strike provoked Jasper who tried to hit him back for his lady, but he hit Rosalie. Rose screeched and dove across the pool and dunked him. Alice avenged her love, and that started the splash war. By the time we got kicked out of the Jacuzzi there was water all over the floor next to us.

I was last to climb out and of course, I slipped in a puddle and headed for the floor. That would have hurt since it was cement, but Edward caught me in time. He stood me up straight and locked yes with me. Even though I was wearing a one-piece swimsuit, I felt really exposed because of the look in his eyes. It was one I had seen a few times in his eyes, especially on this trip, but not one I could identify.

This time it was me who broke the mood. I'd never been good at handling intense situations.

"Edward. I was really hoping to meet the floor, since it's been a while since I've met a new one. You just ruined that," I whispered. Edward just released me and laughed as we caught up to our friends.

……………

I nervously smoothed down the skirt of the dress for the hundredth time. I was alone in the lobby of our hotel, waiting for Edward to return with the limo. Alice and Jasper and Emmett and Rosalie were already on their way to the theatre to make sure they were able to get good seats. They had a better chance of that if they arrived before the celebrities arrived since everyone else would be waiting for a glimpse of them.

I turned in my pacing and my ankle gave a little in the heels I was wearing. Alice had snuck around behind my back on Rodeo Drive and bought them at Prada or Valentino or somewhere. All I knew was that they'd cost more than my entire outfit put together. I'd looked at her doubtfully when she'd pulled them out, but knew better than to argue. At least the heels were chunky and not stiletto.

We girls had spent the morning in the hotel spa and the afternoon sequestered away in Alice's and my room. I had pouted at another day wasted without seeing Edward. Alice and Rosalie knew how I felt so I could show how I felt around them. It hadn't gotten me anywhere, though. I made myself feel better by avoiding the disaster in the mirror.

Edward hadn't been able to stand not seeing me for so long, either, apparently. He'd barged in our room when room service brought our lunch. He'd come to tell me he was going to take care of a few things and would meet me in the lobby with the limo later. He was already dressed in his tuxedo.

All I could do was mutely nod that I comprehended his instructions. He'd taken my breath away. The black tux was tailor fitted and emphasized how muscular his chest was and I was grateful for the thick fabric of the suit jacket. Who knows what I'd have done if I had seen his in just the thin white dress shirt?

The black suit stood in stark contrast to his fair skin and the green tie brought out the red in his hair and made his eyes pop. He made it even more impossible for me to breathe when he smiled at me. He looked me over and his eyes sparkled with mischief.

"If that's what you're wearing tonight, there's no need for me to go at all. There's no way they'd pay any attention to me," he said. I blushed as I realized what I was wearing.

The movie started at 6pm, and Alice and Rosalie had to be at the theatre by 4:45. They'd rushed around, starting on my hair before working on their own. My hair was down, curling loosely down my back and stiff as a board to hold those curls in gallons of hair spray. I didn't have on makeup yet since we were about to eat a light lunch, but I was wearing a short robe.

Edward was looking at me in just a short robe. I covered my embarrassment with mock irritation.

"Go away, Eddie," I said, getting my breath back. I closed the door in his laughing face and marched over to the food.

Alice and Rosalie were soon ready and then finished me off. They did my makeup, put the finishing touches on my hair and then helped me into the wrap dress. I held onto Rosalie's shoulder as Alice bent to strap on the chunky heels.

"Beautiful," Rosalie pronounced once they were finished with me. Alice nodded in agreement, but I avoided all mirrors. I was thinking about what was going to happen tonight and was too nervous to confirm that I would never belong in the world of glamour and beauty. Alice or Rosalie were more suited to it that I was.

I merely contented myself with living vicariously through their beauty and felt immensely proud that my two best friends would be the most beautiful people in the whole theatre.

I turned in my pacing in the lobby and noticed a long white limo pulling up to the curb. Edward stepped out of the back seat and turned his back to the lobby. He adjusted his jacket and ran a hand nervously through his hair a couple of times. I guess even after so many, premiers still made him nervous.

I was grateful that I'd already seen him in his tux, because I needed that time to prepare myself to spend time with him. He was unbelievably gorgeous, made even more so because I now knew he didn't care.

We'd talked a lot in Forks about surface things and the things that really mattered to him. He was an actor because he loved to act, not because his body made him rich. Looks were fleeting, he'd said. Eventually everything on everyone heads south and you can't live on it anymore.

Edward finally turned around and tried to peer through the glass front of the hotel. I'd been hidden behind a large fern while pacing and so I stepped out. He froze for some reason, and I panicked, not knowing if he'd seen me or if it was something else that had made him pause.

I walked slowly and deliberately towards him, willing myself not to twist my ankle in the heels. The dress was floor length and I had to hold it up to keep from tripping on it. I still couldn't bring myself to call it _my_ dress because it was expensive and beautiful and fashionable, none of which adjectives could ever describe me.

"Edward," I breathed once I reached him. It was a relief to be next to him now because I felt weird knowing he was near all day and I still couldn't see him. His face was blank as he held open the limo door and I wondered what I had done wrong. I hadn't looked in the mirror, but Alice and Rosalie had been pleased. What if our ignorance of Hollywood premiers had resulted in some faux pas that Edward was too embarrassed to tell me about?

He slid in the seat beside me and I scooted over to give him room. He closed the door and scooted over with me, and didn't stop until we were so close we were touching. He still didn't look at me, but I was okay with that. His proximity alone was bad enough for my heart, but the addition of his eyes would have made it stop completely.

EPOV

Bella was trying to kill me. Alice and Rosalie were in on it, too. It was bad enough that her hair was all fixed in waves down her back, but she had to be in just a robe when she answered the door? I could almost hear the thoughts of the perverted room service guy. Humor was my friend and helped me out, but I'd felt an overwhelming sadness when she'd closed the door on me.

Bella in a floor length black wrap dress was not helping either. The dress pulled in tighter than any other clothes I'd ever seen her in and accentuated her waist. I really wanted to wrap my arms around her and hold her and kiss her.

I restrained myself with difficulty and held the door open for her. I couldn't look at her because if I did, her deep brown eyes would have pulled my lips to hers and we'd never make it to the premier. That idea sounded far too good for me to dwell on it. So I kept my eyes away even as I slid in too close in the limo. Just a few minutes and we'd be around a bunch of people and I could go back to thinking like a gentleman.

BPOV

It was an awkward, silent ride to the Grauman's Chinese Theatre. Neither one of us said anything and I tried to calm my fears with the knowledge that Edward would never let me go out in front of the media and embarrass him. And I hoped that applied to me too.

We waited in the line of cars and limos until it was our turn. Edward finally turned to me when we were next in line. He smiled a brilliant, excited smile.

"You ready for this?" I nodded. "Just remember what we talked about. If you feel like you're getting jostled away from me, grab my hand, okay?" I nodded again. "You look perfect by the way," he said and then opened the door to the red carpet.

**A/N: The next chapter will have the rest of the premier and will make you very happy, I promise. This wasn't that big of a cliffie, was it? Don't hate me! I gave you the very beginning of the premier, as promised. I really wanted to get this posted quickly. **


	21. Chapter 21

**A/N: I would like to send out a special thanks to NewDayofFire for helping me with this chapter. You're great Mac, thanks! **

**Oh, by the way, the girls' dresses from last chapter are linked on my profile. At least, Rosalie's dress is, and dresses close to Alice's and Bella's are. Sorry I didn't think to do that before.**

**And so, here it is. Hope you like it. If you do, I expect tons of reviews.**

**It switches back and forth between EPOV and BPOV a lot, just to warn you, but I thought that it worked for this chapter. Sorry if you don't like it. **

**Disclaimer: All things **_**Twilight**_** belong to Stephenie Meyer.**

**BPOV**

I was momentarily blinded by all the crazy flashes of cameras and the spot lights on the carpet. Everywhere people shouted to the celebrities from behind the ropes for autographs, interviews, and pictures. Edward stood up and I took my place to his right and slightly behind him. As soon as the reporters saw him, there was no room for anyone else.

A breathtaking woman with strawberry blonde hair wearing a very tight green cocktail dress slid up beside Edward and took his arm, standing right in front of me. I stepped back to give her more room, recognizing his co-star Tanya Sodocha. The Russian beauty whispered something in his ear that lit up his face in a glowing smile.

My smile stayed glued on my face as she turned slightly and barely acknowledged me. The glare in her eyes made me think that she was happy not to have to really greet me just yet. They posed for the cameras and answered questions, and I just stood there. What else could I do? Edward's agent had wanted him to escort Tanya, but he'd insisted I come instead.

That didn't seem to matter to Tanya, though. Who could blame her? He was fantastic. Hot, fine, handsome, gorgeous, cute. And that's just the surface. It became more and more of a struggle to keep my smile plastered on my face as we made our way up the carpet. It was also becoming more crowded as celebrities with larger entourages arrived and filled up the space.

I was trying not to interrupt Edward and Tanya's premier, but people were moving in between us and separating us and Edward had said I should grab his hand if I needed to. Before I could decide, though, a warm hand shot out from around the guy standing between Edward and me and grabbed my wrist. It yanked me around the bodyguard and I almost collided with its owner.

"Don't scare me like that Bella," Edward angrily whispered. "I turned my head to check on you and you weren't there! Stay right here," he said and slid his hand down to grab my wrist. My fears melted as he kept my hand in his and shifted around so that Tanya was on his other side. It was my turn to gloat, if I could have felt anything other than the fire on my skin where he touched me.

The reporters noticed him holding my hand right away, and definitely asked questions.

"She's a friend whom I did not want to get lost in the crowd," was all Edward answered. I felt the blush grow on my face with each query and really wanted to drop his hand and make a run for the theatre. But that would have left Edward and Tanya alone. That bothered me more than I wanted anyone to know. It also seemed pretty impossible to get him to let go of my hand anyway.

Edward and Tanya skillfully answered almost every question thrown at them. Some of the reporters seemed really thrown off by me since they'd all been writing for months about Edward and Tanya's secret relationship. A few of them were not satisfied with the "just friends" explanation. I didn't much like it myself.

We eventually worked our way all the way to the theatre doors and I felt massive relief. I looked around and noticed there were a lot of movie stars milling around the lobby. I hadn't expected them to be so normal, standing in line for snacks themselves, mixed in with regular people like me.

Edward left me in a corner of the lobby while he went to speak to a few cast members. I didn't miss the fact that Tanya stayed close to him throughout the resulting conversations and pictures. I felt really disappointed in myself. We were just friends, and there was no reason for him not to hang out with the cast and crew of the movie that was premiering tonight. They had all worked very hard and deserved a chance to be recognized.

It was the feelings that Tanya stirred in me that made me disappointed in myself. I had no right to want him all to myself. He was closer to dating Tanya than he was to dating me, and I felt the façade slip from my face as if it were a mask.

I stood in the corner, next to a large glass case with three creepy looking wax figures in it. The rest of the lobby was breathtaking with its Asian murals, vases, and chandelier. Wax figures just gave me the creeps. The plaque underneath them advised readers that they used to be considered good luck charms that movie stars would touch as they passed. To me they looked worn out, the flesh colored wax looking dull and transparent from too many caresses.

So far, there were no members of the media in the lobby, all still clamoring after interviews with the still arriving celebrities. Edward and Tanya had both disappeared. Edward and I had never really talked about her before, so I didn't know how he felt about her. I knew that he felt that the cast and crew in general were like a family to him, and Tanya was part of the cast.

I could guess where they were. Co-stars fell in love all the time. They had to portray intense emotions and were taught how to make it seem real. I was instantly over Hollywood. I wanted to go home right that moment. Forget about the movie.

I had no idea where my friends were in the dim theatre, but I decided to try to find them anyway. Alice had my cell phone in her clutch because I had refused to have to keep up with one all night. Why carry a purse that has no strap? Your hands are full all night and you have to worry about whether you will lose it or not.

I was momentarily pulled back into the awe of Hollywood by the ornate chandelier and sunburst on the ceiling. Dragons danced at the edges and small Chinese scenes dotted the outside of the dragons' circle. I turned around and saw the stairs to the private boxes in the balcony and looked up to see Alice waving frantically at me, trying to get my attention. I waved back, acknowledging her and turned towards the stairs.

An arm wrapped around my waist and a velvet voice whispered in my ear.

"Why do you keep running away from me?" Edward asked, sounding slightly wounded. The awe was gone again. I was surprised that I had been so caught up in Hollywood, actually. I hated celebrity for celebrity's sake. But I had been acting like a star struck teenager all weekend. Edward must have seen the irritation in my eyes because he stepped back when I turned to face him.

"I think it was you who left me in a corner so you could run off with your date, was it not?" I whispered/ snarled. He looked stung for a second and then narrowed his eyes.

"Are we jealous Isabella?" I just folded my arms, trying to will my anger to keep my face pale instead of red.

"You are. I told you what would happen, didn't I? I told you my agent wanted Tanya to be my date, but I explained that you were going to be my date. It wasn't my doing, Bella. I'd rather you were next to me than behind me anytime." His eyes were slightly watery as if I'd hurt his feelings.

"But we weren't on the red carpet anymore, Edward. And you stuck me in a corner while you disappeared with Tanya."

"I didn't disappear with her, Isabella. Our director wanted to talk to us about that stupid song that's been giving us so much trouble in filming. He thought he found one that could work and didn't want to wait before playing it for us. We had to go to a private room so we could hear it. We weren't alone. Five other people were there." His eyes held nothing but sincerity as he pleaded with me to believe him.

"Whatever. It doesn't matter to me what you do, or who you do it with. I just didn't like being left alone in a large group of people," I dismissed my true feelings with a wave of my hand. His eyes narrowed again and an unknown emotion darkened them at my subtle reminder of our friendship status. I looked away.

**EPOV**

I kind of liked jealous Bella. It gave me hope that maybe she felt the same about me that I felt about her. I didn't believe for one second that she didn't care what I did. She'd stood in that corner like a sulking brat who wasn't getting her way. I enjoyed it very much.

As much as I was enjoying it, I didn't want her _mad_ at me, and I could tell she was close to that. It was time to stop teasing her and comfort her a bit. I smiled at her and took her hand, lacing our fingers together. They fit perfectly, but I couldn't concentrate on that. It was going to be difficult enough sitting with her in a darkened theatre for two hours.

I resisted the urge to brush her hair back from her face and pulled her face up to face me. I didn't know if I should thank Alice and Rose or curse them out for what they had done to Bella. I had to work hard to keep reacting to her as a gentleman.

I pulled her up the stairs to our private box just as the warning lights dimmed to signal the start of the previews. Even at a fancy Hollywood premier the movie had previews.

"Bella! Isn't this great?" Alice squealed. I had noticed that the three girls had the reaction spectrum covered. Alice was at one end, all excitement and giggles over everything. Rosalie was in the middle, happy to be there but acting mature about it. And then there was Bella, just sitting back and taking everything in, not impressed by anything at this premier. Unless you looked at her eyes, shining with interest.

I settled myself on the aisle, leaving the seat next to me empty while the girls gathered in the corner, talking, ignoring the previews. Finally, the lights dimmed again, ready to start the movie, and Bella stumbled and kicked her way over to her seat.

The instant she sat down the air between us was filled with the electricity that had only been hinted at each time we'd touched. The few inches between us felt solid with it, making us seem much closer. Her arm was resting on the armrest, her hand clinched around the end, holding on for dear life. Was she feeling what I felt?

Before I could think about it, I reached out and grabbed her hand. The electricity now flowed like a connected plug and I could not concentrate on anything else. I should have been watching my movie, paying attention to the audience's reactions, but all there was in that room was Bella Swan.

I made up my mind then and there. Nothing else mattered in my life. I wanted, no needed, Bella in my life. Tanya's face inexplicably flashed in my mind, but was then obliterated by Bella's smile.

The movie finally ended, amidst thunderous applause, and I couldn't get out of there fast enough. I caught Jasper's eye and nodded to the secret exit. Screw the reporters wanting an interview. We had planned to all go to dinner and then the three couples would go their own ways for the night. Bella and I weren't a couple, yet. But I was losing my fight against the long distance relationship fairy that kept whispering to me in Bella's voice.

I whipped out my cell phone and texted Tanya to let her know I had to leave early and would not be giving any interviews tonight. I told her to tell them that my publicist would let them know when I would be giving them on Monday. After Bella left. My phone beeped her immediate response of a simple "whatever". She was not happy with me at all for bringing a date when she hadn't brought one.

She said it made her seem desperate and like she was pushing Bella out of the way so she could stand in front of her. Which was what happened.

**BPOV**

Okay, I really hoped Edward never asked me what I thought about that movie, because I didn't see one second of it. I really wouldn't have realized it was over if Alice hadn't sighed her satisfaction from next to me. I slipped my hand from Edward's finding relief from the burning electricity that had swum between us for the past two hours. But the action also brought an unsettled feeling at the same time.

I didn't look at his eyes as I turned to follow our friends out of a back exit to the box. I didn't look at him when I spoke, either, my voice shaking a little from left-over emotion.

"Don't you have some interviews or something to do?" I asked him over my shoulder.

"Naw, Tanya's got it covered. I'll schedule some for Monday," he said, his voice low and deep. I glanced back at him, tripping over something while I was distracted. His arms caught me, again.

"Bella, if you really want to meet a new floor, I could introduce you to one, you don't have to fall all over yourself in your eagerness," he chuckled. The sarcastic reply died on my lips.

"Stupid shoes," was all I could whisper. He took my elbow, gently guiding me down the hall and to the stairwell to catch up to our friends.

Our heels clacking on the cement stairs was the only sound in the echoing stairwell. Even Emmett was quiet, perhaps sensing some changes in the air. Or our silence could have been because of the movie. Or because four of us were thinking that tomorrow we'd be separated for who knows how long, once again.

I put that thought out of my head as we all six piled into Edward's white limo.

"Wow," Emmett breathed, once we were driving off towards the restaurant.

"Understatement," Rose agreed. The rest of us nodded while Edward's face lit up in his crooked smile.

"That movie was excellent, Edward," Jasper said. "Much better than the first one."

"Thanks, man. We tried," Edward said, reaching across me to bump fists with Jasper. My heart sped up as he leaned into me.

I was going to hyperventilate before the night was over. Who knows what he has planned for after dinner?

His arm stretched across the seat behind me, brushing my hair across my neck and sending shivers down my back. I hoped Edward didn't notice my embarrassing reactions to his proximity, but a sly glance from the corner of his eye made me think he might have.

I was going insane. I was dying. I was hyperventilating. Something was happening to me. I'd never felt all this emotion and physical feeling before and had no clue what was going on.

I was given temporary relief when we finally reached the restaurant. I say temporary because we were sat at a table with a round booth seat and Edward scooted up close enough to touch me.

We bumped elbows every time one of us went to eat or drink. It would have been annoying if I hadn't guessed Edward was doing it on purpose. Was he flirting with me? Our careful no-contact space had completely disappeared, and he was touching me every few seconds now. It even looked like he was doing it on purpose.

It was also a temporary relief because Edward rushed me through dinner, not even giving me the option of getting desert. I was okay with that since I hadn't really been able to eat much anyway.

We were the first to leave, earning raised eyebrows from Alice and Rosalie for me. Emmett and Jasper directed theirs to Edward.

"We have plans to be somewhere soon. Got to get there before the guard leaves," Edward explained.

We'd barely talked the whole night, but we seemed to be headed towards a cliff. Things couldn't always stay the same, because I thought that I had seen a little bit of my own feelings reflected back to me in his eyes.

Edward handed a slip of paper to the valet outside the restaurant and we stood on the curb. I couldn't keep my eyes from his face for long, though I tried very hard. He stared up at the stars or down at the sidewalk, changing each time I looked at him.

The valet returned driving a sleek black car which I had no idea the name of. Edward opened the passenger door for me and closed it behind me. It seemed like he ran to get to the driver's side and then we were off, speeding way too fast in the busy LA traffic.

"Edward, slow down! Where are we going that you're so rushed to get to?"

"It's a surprise. We have to get there before the guard leaves, as I told the guys. He said he'd let me through, but he makes rounds once every hour. If we aren't there soon, we'll have to wait another hour." He glanced at the clock and sped up even faster.

I avoided the windows and the speedometer and looked at him instead, not wanting to get motion sickness. His jaw was clenched as he glanced at the clock every few seconds and I was waiting for him to relax.

We were driving up into hills now, a steep precipice on my side of the road. It made me nervous so I slid closer towards Edward and calmed down when his arm went around my shoulder. I glanced up at him and he smiled down at me, only slightly relaxed.

I could feel that his whole body seemed tight with tension, the muscles in his arm hard as a rock. He stayed like that until we came to a gate off the road to the left. He parked the car and leaped out to open my door.

I stepped out and looked around at the wooded area. Edward let out a frustrated sigh as he scanned the area for the security guard.

**EPOV**

She fits in so perfectly in this world. Bella, a girl from a small town at a Hollywood premier. Never would have thought of that one. She is so beautiful. My dreams, my perfect dreams never prepared me for Bella Swan.

I drove in silence, the hum of the engine harmonizing serenely with her quite, yet defined presence. I could feel her eyes on me the whole time, probably too afraid to look out the window. I didn't want to scare her, but I needed to get there in time. Sam said he'd try to wait for us, but he did have to log in at each of his stops.

He could justify a few minutes, claiming he thought he saw something, but more than that would require a full written report. If I wasn't there on time, we'd have to sit in this car for a whole hour. Not that there weren't things to do in a car, even if you did stay in the front seat.

We finally entered the hills, and I felt my body relax just a little. We were almost there and would probably make it in time. The road opened up on the right, falling down a few hundred feet. Bella's face seemed to pale and she shrunk towards me. I knew she didn't like my normal speed and 105 mph was probably freaking her out. At least she never looked at the speedometer.

She was so close yet so far away still, so I wrapped my arm around her shoulders and pulled her to me. She relaxed completely while I felt the added tension of her closeness.

We finally reached the gate, but Sam wasn't there. Heck. I did not want to wait a whole hour! It was bad enough we had to miss the sunset, but sitting in a car was not romantic, no matter what you were doing.

I got out, opened Bella's door, and looked for Sam. Finally, his headlights showed around the bend in the road back the way we'd come from. He smiled sheepishly at me, looked appreciatively at Bella, and opened the gate to let us in.

"You have one hour, Cullen. Make it good," he whispered as I got into the Vanquish. I looked at Bella, getting in on her side, and thankfully she hadn't heard anything. I got in and drove through the gate, watching in the rearview mirror as Sam closed the gate.

Fifteen minutes later, we arrived. The Hollywood Hills. Beautiful, silent, and intimidating, a lot like love. I parked a little ways from the Hollywood sign, planning on walking to it.

"Wow," Bella breathed, stepping out of the car. Even at night the city was beautiful from the hills. "I've never seen anything so beautiful." I agreed, but the beauty was her, not the artificial lights in the valley below us.

**BPOV**

"Neither have I," Edward replied.

I took my eyes away from the valley. He was staring at me as he made his comment. I realized that it held a double meaning. He cleared his throat suddenly and looked away back towards the lights below, effectively ruining the moment.

"Well, um, I thought since you're here, you might as well get the full Hollywood experience. The Hills are probably one of the best places to see since they are everywhere. I thought we might walk to the famous sign, if you're up to it. I don't believe there is a prettier view than this for miles."

Again with the double meanings.

"Well, I don't know. If I ruin these heels, Alice would have my head."

"Hold on," he said. He walked over to me, bent down, and grabbed my ankle.

"Ed-." He shushed me and yanked off the shoes, and sprinted back to the car.

"Don't worry, there's nothing but grass here, and your feet will be fine," he said.

**EPOV**

"Follow me", I said, almost an octave higher than what my voice should have been. It was left over from grabbing her perfect ankle and seeing the butterfly tattoo there. It brought back memories and I was fighting back a blush. I hoped my hand wasn't too sweaty as I grabbed hers to pull her in the right direction.

Why am I so nervous? I'm Edward-freaking'- Cullen! Major movie star for crying out loud! I've been with plenty of girls before. Why is Bella so different? Not different, but unique and full of depth. She was not caught on _what_ I am, but showed genuine interest in _who_ I am.

"Wow, Edward. I never thought that I would ever be here. I'm feeling very blessed right now. And overwhelmed."

"Yeah, great place, Hollywood. Really no other place like it."

"No", she said."That's not what I meant."

She looked down, and began to stare at her feet. Was SHE nervous? Please don't hide your eyes Bella. Look at me. She lifted her head and spoke. Words flowed from her mouth as if she couldn't stop them, a tide that no levee would hold back.

**BPOV**

I took a deep breath and decided to go for it. What could happen? I was leaving to go back to Forks tomorrow and if things went badly, we could just go on with our lives, as if none of this ever happened. Though I hoped that wouldn't happen.

I knew Rosalie would think I was taking a cop out, saying this when there was no real risk. But to me, this was extremely risky. I was in love with Edward, and if he didn't feel the same, then no words cold describe the way I would feel.

I took another deep breath and clarified my earlier statement.

"No, I didn't mean here as in physically. I meant here here. I'm here with you, you of all people. A movie star, yes, but one who has proved me wrong on every level. You've really changed the way I see a lot of things. I no longer think that all movie stars are stuck up snobs. I really like the you that I've gotten to know these past few months." I turned to look at him, meeting his eye only after I'd finished.

He just stared at me, a surprised look on his face. Slowly the corner of his mouth began to twitch, and quite suddenly, I found myself standing in front of a blushing, smiling Edward.

"Why Bella, I do believe that, that was the nicest thing you've ever said to me." Well, it wasn't a kiss, but at least he hadn't turned me away in embarrassment.

"That was probably the nicest thing I've ever said." Well it was.

**EPOV**

We continued our walk in silence for the next few minutes. I was still processing what she'd said. I wondered, again, if she could possibly feel the same love for me that I had for her. The wind blew through the trees, turning colder. I felt Bella's shudder through our clasped hands and mentally kicked myself.

Of course it would be colder out here, close to the cliff face. And I had left her barefoot.

"It's s-so cold", she gasped out. I slipped my arm around her shoulders, and gently pulled her to my side.

"I'm sorry Bella, I should have thought about that. Your dress is too thin and I left you without shoes. I'm sorry." I pulled her closer, and rubbed her arms, trying to warm her up with friction.

"Thanks", she whispered, looking up. Our eyes locked, and the air between us crackled with electricity as the mood slowly changed. I saw deep into her eyes and was amazed by what I saw.

I saw there, buried beneath all of her pride, her prejudices, her strength, the facade breaking, revealing the soul of one being, smoldering, burning, in my arms. This one look stopped me in my tracks. My heart sped up, and I pulled her closer so I could feel hers speed up as well. Every place that her skin touched mine burned, but it didn't matter. Her eyes held every question imaginable, but I held this one moment in my hands.

I found myself leaning forward, inch by inch, closer, closer. I could feel her breath, moist and warm, on my face.

**BPOV**

How many times I must have dreamed of this moment. His face so close to mine, our breathing deep in perfect synchronization. My heart raced, almost hurting in anticipation. God I hoped there were no police cars anywhere near.

I could feel the familiar flush race across my skin, making me impervious to the cold air around me. He looked into my eyes; I looked into his, both of us closing them nearly at the same time. The final plunge, a moment of truth.

My heart rate sped up impossibly faster and stopped momentarily as our lips made contact. We moved together as one being. His light pressure leading the direction of this kiss, and my responding pressure continuing the moment. Sweet. Innocent. Perfect. A subtle flow of butterflies filled my stomach with excitement, and a feeling I had never had before consumed me.

I wanted to laugh and cry at the same time. To remain solid, and stand here with Edward, and to melt into his arms at the all at once. Then, quite suddenly, his lips parted. The kiss deepened, and I, poor Bella, lost it.

Passion, an onslaught of pure passion, took me over. Weeks and weeks of built up anxiety, loneliness, and only hearing his voice and never seeing his face broke through like a flood. The defenses I had built up over the years were destroyed. Years of building up, only seconds to tear them down.

**EPOV**

Kissing Bella was like nothing I had ever experienced before in my life. We fit perfectly in each other's arms. Her lips were like that missing puzzle piece you could never find in a whole stack of them. Our light embrace pure and simple, filled with me an emotion that I had never really experienced. No other girl had ever felt like this before.

I parted my lips willing to take this kiss to the next level. I pulled her closer to me, tightening my arms securely around her waist. She pulled me even closer, pressing her body tightly against mine. I felt her raw emotion pouring out through her lips. My blood pressure spiked, willing this to go on.

This was dangerous. I had to stop, to breathe, to think.

**BPOV**

Heat, nothing but heat. Passion showed no mercy. It was like I was trying to communicate "I love you" with every movement, every breath. Oh how I had fallen in love with him, and oh how I wanted him to feel that.

He pulled away from me gently, looking at me with those beautiful green eyes. It was time for us to breathe, and I hadn't realized before that I was nearly out of breath. I knew I had to be blushing heavily, but I didn't expect him to be tomato red.

"I think we need to stop", he said breathlessly.

"No.", I moaned, as I pulled myself closer to him.

"Don't be silly, Bella," he began. "This is not the place to get caught up in the moment."

And with that, he kissed me lightly on the lips, and we continued on walking, hand in hand, closer than before.

0000000000000000

I was spent, emotionally and physically, by the time we got back to the hotel. We had spent the hour, walking around the Hollywood Hills, talking, enjoying each other's company.

We didn't talk about what had happened, but we didn't act like nothing happened, either. It just wasn't the time to discuss what we were, when we both knew we were definitely more than friends. The reality of my flight back to Forks the next night and his flight back to Iowa and his film set sometime Tuesday made things like that not a priority for now.

I really wanted to just flop down in bed and sleep for twelve hours or so. But that was nixed when we reached my hotel room door.

Alice had hung out the "Do Not Disturb" sign. That wouldn't have been something to sorry about, except that Jasper was not in his room and had left a note for Edward. Guess the mystery of his and Alice's physical relationship was now answered.

Jasper's note advised that he would not be over there all night, and that Edward should amuse himself for a few hours. Yeah, right. I had just had my very first kiss; no way was I going to jump into bed with Edward that soon.

So we curled up on the couch, sort of watching a rerun of an old TV show, _Alf_. It was a classic and one easily ignored as we avoided the topic of relationships and just enjoyed being together for a few more hours.

I fell asleep sometime after the fifth _Alf_ episode, Edward's warm arms wrapped tightly around me.

**A/N: My longest chapter yet! So, are you a little happy now? By the way, I have been in many hotels where they show random reruns of **_**Alf**_**. Have you ever seen it? Maybe I'm showing my age here, 25, by the way, but I loved it when I was younger. **

**Okay, show me some love by clicking the button and reviewing. Hope this satisfies you for a little while, because this story ain't over yet. **

**Love ya.**


	22. Chapter 22

**A/N: Okay, so I'm glad you liked the last chapter. And, for those of you who don't know **_**Alf**_**, use your fave search engine and look it up. It was hilarious. **

**Also, like I said, while this story isn't over yet, I do think there aren't that many chapters left, unless the characters run away with the story as they tend to do. 25 or 26 chapters are about it for this one, hey, every story has an end. I'm not limiting it to that on purpose, just saying I think this one is close to an ending. And no, the kiss was not the climax, just so you know ;). There's still some conflict and resolution to deal with.**

**I know some of you wanted to know what happened with the other four after dinner, but I decided against writing that. If you really want to know, pm me and I'll write a short chapter just for you with that info, okay? **

**Here's just a chapter of mainly fluff, since some of you didn't want to get back to the angst just yet :p. I didn't either, to tell you the truth. I liked writing this chapter. **

**More of an A/N at the end, too. **

**So, since most of you probably skipped this A/N anyway, here's the next chapter. **

**Disclaimer: All things **_**Twilight**_** belong to Stephenie Meyer.**

Chapter 22

BPOV

The first thing I was aware of was that I was extremely uncomfortable. I shifted around a little, trying to get back to my comfort zone so I could sleep. And then arms squeezed me closer to a very warm body.

I opened my eyes and almost yelped with surprise. I'd forgotten where I had fallen asleep. Edward's eyes were closed, his deep breathing letting me know I hadn't woken him with my fidgeting. I was lying on his chest, partially turned into his body.

He shifted on the narrow couch and I almost fell off. My butt was hanging off the edge, but he gripped me tighter in his sleep and kept me from falling.

I studied his face, blushing when I remembered how close we were last night. My first love and my first kiss at 26 years old. Wow. My blush deepened. I really wanted to run my fingers through his messy hair, but didn't really know if that was allowed.

I'd never been in a relationship before, so at what stage are you allowed to play with the guy's hair? I mean, we had kissed already, we'd passed the hand-holding stage already, and we'd already slept together (literally _slept_ slept together).

It was his turn to fidget as he tried to get comfortable. It really was a bad idea to try to sleep on a couch. Hadn't he learned from the faux leather hospital recliner that beds are the only things made to be slept on? His beautiful face pulled together in a grimace when his shifting wasn't successful. I felt bad for him, and knew that if he was awake I could get more comfortable as well, but I felt the strongest urge to let him sleep so I could touch his hair.

One of my love languages was touch, and I could barely restrain myself. My dysfunctional family had made me suppress that fact, but Edward was bringing it out in me. He'd completely broken through my personal space and made it okay to be who I really was. And that meant touching my friends that I loved. And the man that I loved.

Very slowly I maneuvered my arm out from Edward's embrace and lifted my hand to his hair. Any quick movement could startle him and send me crashing to the floor. Edward had given me some of his pajamas to wear the night before, so I wasn't still in the wrap dress (see, still can't call it _my_ dress). That would have been worse; no telling what shape the front of that dress would have been in.

I lightly played with the very tips of the locks over his eyes, barely feeling the texture. He didn't move or make any sound, so I felt braver and played with more hair. I slipped my fingers through the whole locks of hair over his eyes and forehead, memorizing the texture. It was rough, yet soft at the same time, full of body and easily styled. I wondered if he put anything in his hair or if it was naturally that texturized.

I traced my fingertips over his face now, feeling his skin, rough, yet soft, like his hair. It was a man's face, a movie star's face. Used to working outside in all conditions, but also moisturized and occasionally heavily make-uped. I went back to his hair, very confident that Edward was not a light sleeper. Heck, tickle my face and I jerk awake immediately. Edward hadn't moved since I'd first touched his hair.

I moved my hand through more hair, watching it shine more red in the sunbeam that was escaping through the partially parted curtains. Edward shifted again, and I paused, pulling my arm back down under his.

"Why did you stop?" he whined, startling me. His grip was relaxed and I slid right out of his arms and landed on the floor, the air whooshing from my lungs.

I landed on my back, and just lay there, staring at the edge of the offensive couch. Edward's sleep darkened eyes appeared over the edge of the couch.

"Bella, are you okay?"

"What'd you have to go and scare me like that for?"

"Well, I was enjoying you playing with my hair, and then you stop."

"You were supposed to be asleep," I accused. He rolled his eyes, not quite hiding his blush.

"I actually woke up when you move your arm from mine," he admitted. I was still lying on the floor below him and he suddenly seemed to realize that.

"Bella, are you sure you're okay?" His eyebrows pinched together. I nodded, struggling to hold back my laughter. I sat up, rubbing my lower back, and he sat up and gave me his hand to help me up.

"Well, that was an uncomfortable night's sleep," I said. His face fell.

"Come on, Edward. I bet you had better sleep on that turquoise recliner at the hospital," I soothed.

"Yeah, I guess you're right." He turned his face away once I was standing. I took a deep breath and reached for his face, turning it towards me.

"Edward, it had nothing to do with you, I mean, I loved waking up in your arms and all, but…" I trailed off because his face had broken out in the most glorious smile I'd ever seen. It left me breathless and trying to figure out what he was thinking as his face fell back into a frown.

"Isabella, you don't have to explain," he said, pulling me closer to the couch. "I was just upset with myself that I hadn't thought of moving you to my bed when Jasper didn't return last night. I guess I fell asleep myself."

He pulled me until I was standing between his legs as he sat on the edge of the couch. He was looking up at me with the most beautiful face in the world, and I looked back with the most plain face in the world. I put my hand on his cheek, trying to comfort him, trying to get him to stop beating himself up over first the no-shoes thing last night and then the no-bed thing this morning.

It was becoming difficult to have a serious moment with him without that darn electricity thing going. I'd thought that maybe the kiss would have relieved some of the fire, but it only seemed to make it worse. It could have been the fact that we hadn't stopped touching since the kiss. My train of thought made the blush spread on my cheeks.

Edward raised his hand to my face and rubbed his thumb across the blush, making my heart speed up. The air changed more quickly this time, and I started to lean down towards him. His eyes flickered from my eyes to my lips and back, and I bent closer.

"Bella! What time does the plane leave?!" Alice burst through the room door, making me bolt upright. Jasper followed behind her, looking radiantly happy. I tried to ignore that I knew why he was so happy.

"First police sirens, and now annoying little pixies," Edward muttered. I couldn't help but agree. Not only had she interrupted our attempted kiss, but she'd also reminded me that we were leaving tonight. I sighed and answered her, flopping down on the couch.

"Eleven pm, Alice, why?" Edward put his arm around me and pulled me to his side. I really liked this change. I could show him how much I loved him without him really knowing.

"Gah! It's already ten, and we've got so much more to do! Come on, get up! Places to go, things to buy!" I groaned and started to protest, but Edward beat me to it.

"No, Alice," he said, low. I almost didn't hear him and I was curled up into his side.

"What was that, Edward? I couldn't quite hear you. Doesn't matter anyway. Come on, Bells. Your clothes are all laid out on your bed and everything." She walked towards me, and grabbed my hand to pull me off the couch.

"No, Alice," Edward said a little louder, pulling me away from her. Alice's eyebrows shot up in a challenging stance and she pulled me back. Edward's eyes narrowed back at her and he pulled me to him. He wrapped both arms around me, crushing me to his chest and leaning back. My face was smothered and I could barely breathe, but I couldn't stop smiling.

With a surprising amount of force, Alice pulled on me with one hard tug, and I came flying out of Edward's arms. She turned me to her. I was kind of ticked off at her for that, and Edward's face was frozen in shock. Alice started pushing me towards the door, and I was too shocked to do anything.

"Um, Alice? What-?" My finally-found voice was stopped by a wink from Alice. At least, I thought she'd winked at me. My head tilted in curiosity. She winked again, and this time I was sure she'd done it.

She pulled me out Edward's door and into our room across the hall. She pushed me into my room, and I randomly noted the fact that the threatened clothes were not, in fact, laid out for me. I turned around to ask her about it, but my door was closed. I heard muffled shouting from the front room of the suit.

Whoa. What was going on?

I went to open the door, but the handle was ripped from my hands as the door flew open. Edward stood there, his glorious chest heaving with his hard breathing. This time I looked at him curiously. He merely grabbed me by the waist, slung me over his shoulder, and carried me out the door.

Alice threw me a duffle bag, which I amazingly caught, and Edward carried me out of the hotel.

"Edward, what are you doing? You can put me down, now. Alice obviously isn't going to come after us, now." He growled at the mention of Alice's name and didn't put me down until we reached his car.

"Get in, Bella."

"Where are we going?" I asked, opening the passenger door. He looked at me over the top of his Volvo and took my breath away by his smile.

"We're going to my house. Not even Alice could worm its location out of Emmett."

**A/N: Okay, sorry this one is shorter, but I really wanted to get it out there so certain readers don't go through withdrawals. I plan on trying to get another chapter up tomorrow, but I make no promises. **

**You will all probably shoot me for making them not sleep comfortably together, but who can honestly say that two people lying on a narrow couch is comfortable? I don't like sleeping by myself on a couch, and it would be horrible to add anyone else in there. In case you haven't realized by now, I try to be realistic in my stories. **

**Also, if you haven't heard of the **_**Five Love Languages**_** book by Gary D. Chapman, go read it. Basically it says that everyone shows and receives love in specific ways. The five he mentions are physical touch, quality time, words of affirmation, gift giving, and acts of service. It's a great book to read and it can really help you in relationships--romantic, family, and friendship-wise. **

**I've been the beta for the last couple of chapters of a wonderful story, **_**Heartbreaks **_**by . You should go read it. It really is a unique story idea.**


	23. Secret Chapter 21

**A/N: Okay, so I didn't really think I was going to post this here, and only one person, goldeneyesx, asked for it. I wrote it, planning on sending it just to her as I had said I would, but I ended up liking it a lot more than I thought. And it ended up being longer than I thought. So, here's the chapter about what the other four did after dinner after the premier. **

**So, this one is dedicated to goldeneyesx. **

**Disclaimer: All things **_**Twilight**_** belong to Stephenie Meyer. **

Secret Chapter 21

APOV

"Whoa man, what's the hurry, Edward?" Emmett asked. I looked up from my food to see Edward holding Bella's chair out for her. I looked at her, eager to know what Edward's rush was. She looked clueless, so I'd just have to get the details later.

I hoped my plan of sticking to the real Bella was working. Those two needed to just get together and get it over with, already. Those weeks in Forks I'd tried, unsuccessfully, many times to push them together. I jumped with joy when Bella finally admitted her feelings. Now it was Edward's turn.

He was a bit jaded, had to put up with too many Hollywood whores, but I'd seen the way he'd looked at Bella. It reminded me of the way Jasper sometimes looked at me…

"We have plans to be somewhere soon. Got to get there before the guard leaves," Edward was explaining. He took Bella's hand and about jerked her arm out of its socket.

"Wonder what _he _has planned," Jasper mused, almost too low for me to hear. I wondered what Jasper had planned for us. I _had_ been looking forward to dinner for a while.

Jasper and I had been officially together for two months, and I felt our relationship was changing. He'd been really nervous all week, and it worried me.

We'd talked about the physical side of our relationship only once or twice, and we were both on the same page. Waiting for true love. It didn't necessarily mean marriage, but it was important to us. It wasn't "sex", it was "making love."

This trip to Hollywood was our first trip together, and I had tried to calm Jasper's nerves by making it clear I'd assumed I was rooming with Bella. No point in letting him know I really wanted a single bed with him. So far I had avoided spending too much alone time with Jasper; the feeling of that change made it so I couldn't really enjoy LA.

I'd slyly chased Jasper Whitlock for a year before he'd finally asked me out. I'd patiently waited the month it took for him to make us an exclusive couple. Now I was waiting for his next step, whichever direction he chose.

Personally, I was ready to move forward. I was completely in love with that sexy blonde lawyer. Just thinking about him in court made my stomach tie up in knots. Yes, I'd waited a long time for Jasper, but tonight terrified me.

"So, what's up for you two lovebirds?" My love asked Emmett. As if he didn't know. "You getting dessert?"

I looked up to see Emmett's eyes flash with mischief.

"Yeah, but not here. Our dessert is waiting back at the hotel," he answered, winking at Rose. She blushed, matching the exact shade of her new lingerie I'd helped her pick out. Jasper chuckled and I felt him glance my way. My eyes were back on my food.

"What about you crazy kids? You getting dessert?" Emmett wiggled his eyebrows suggestively. Jasper chuckled again and cleared his throat nervously. Rosalie remained silent, a smile playing across her lips. I'm pretty sure a grimace crossed mine.

Edward and Bella had left almost in the middle of dinner, so we still had a lot to finish. I took my time, suddenly feeling like delaying the inevitable. I guess it was also my nerves. I got the sudden feeling that our relationship wasn't going in the direction I wanted it to go.

"Alright, guys," Emmett said, pushing away from the table and rubbing his stomach. "We'll see you tomorrow." He and Rose stood and then there were two.

"Alice, darlin', are you okay? You're quieter than normal," Jasper said. I loved it when his southern accent came through. I was fighting back tears now. I didn't want to lose him.

"Yeah, I'm okay," I lied. "Just thinking about tomorrow," I said. That wasn't exactly a lie. I did wonder what would happen tomorrow…and afterwards.

"Bummed because you didn't get to shop as much as you wanted?" He teased. It kind of stung, the mood I was in. I scowled.

"I'm not just about shopping, Jasper. I care about other things, too, you know," I huffed. I kept my face down, hiding from him.

"Alice? Are you okay?" I still didn't look up. He hooked his thumb under my chin and gently pulled my face up to look at him. "Alice, why are you _crying_? What's wrong, baby?" He tried to put his arm around me, but I moved away.

"I'm fine, I just need to go to the bathroom, excuse me." I barely made it before the irrational tears streamed down my face. Why was I feeling this way? Sure Jasper had been off the past few weeks, especially this one, but there could be other explanations, right?

Alice, you are not this self-conscious. You are a confident woman. Jasper is just a man. Well, just a man who you are desperately in love with and really want to jump…nope. Stop right there. You love him, and he hasn't left yet, right? Suck it up girl. Enjoy him while you can.

I wiped my tears from my cheeks and looked at myself in the mirror. God. I looked awful. Ignoring the thoughts of what Jasper must be thinking about my time spent in the bathroom, I wiped off my face and redid my makeup. It's amazing just how much stuff an experienced girl such as myself can stuff into a clutch…. Oh no, wait. I'd already given Bella back her clutch. Yeah, she had it when she left with Edward.

I took a deep breath, checked my hair and makeup and dress in the mirror one last time, and went back out of the bathroom. Jasper was propped up against the wall right outside, waiting on me. My coat was in his hand and he held it up for me.

"I hope you weren't looking forward to any of the dessert here. Edward's not the only one who has a deadline." He smiled down at me, his eyes full of that doubt and hesitation that had plagued them lately. I shook my head and smiled. After I reminded myself of my promise to enjoy him while I could.

The limo from before was waiting for us at the curb, but I didn't ask how the others left. I wanted him to break the silence. We slipped in the back of it and he pulled me to his side. I breathed in his smell, a mixture of his unique smell and some new cologne. It reminded me of home and somehow always managed to calm me down.

"Alice, are you sure you're okay? You seem all over the place with your emotions tonight." He rubbed my arm.

"I just have a few things on my mind. How about you? You seem nervous. It's making me kind of jumpy."

He shifted uncomfortably, but didn't answer me. I didn't push for an answer either.

The limo pulled over to a curb and the limo's door was opened. Jasper slid out and pulled me with him. I was slightly confused because I was expecting us to be at the hotel. Instead, I was staring at a warehouse-type building.

"Um, Jasper? What's this? What's going on?"

"Oh, sorry. I have some business to take care of while we're here. Once we're finished, we'll head on. Is that okay?" He smiled brilliantly at me and I just nodded. He took my hand and we went inside a beat up door.

I tried to get over my disappointment, but I wasn't very successful.

"Okay, Alice. I have to go up by myself. Follow that hall around to the left and there are signs for a waiting room. Just follow them and I'll come find you when I'm ready, okay?" He bent over, kissed the top of my head, and walked away.

I sighed once he was out of sight and followed the hall around the corner. I saw no signs for the waiting room, but he did tell me to go left down this hall, right? Most of the overhead lights were off; only every third was lit, so it was difficult to really see. But I knew I didn't see any signs pointing anywhere.

The hallway turned right and I turned with it and stopped, startled. On the floor, just out of the range of the light in the middle of the hallway something was there. I couldn't quite tell what it was, or why it'd scared me, but when my heart calmed down I walked over to it.

Jasper hadn't said what kind of business he had with these people, so I had no clue what it could be.

It was a lavender rose. I picked it up, amazed that it was on this dirty floor. I looked down the hallway and there was another rose. I walked to it and picked up an orange one. Further down the hall and around a left turn was a dark pink rose. Then there was a light pink one.

There was another orange rose in front of a partially opened door. Inside, the room was filled with tons of lit pillar candles in the colors matching the roses. A table was set in the middle of the room with a vase full of white and red roses.

Before I could stop myself I'd entered the room and was at the table, touching the soft petals of the flowers. I remembered where I was and blushed, hoping I could get away before I was noticed. Someone had obviously set this up for someone and I didn't want to be there to ruin the mood. I started to back up to the door when another one leading to the room opened suddenly.

I turned to run out the door, but stopped when I noticed it was Jasper. He had a single rose in his hand, but the yellow flicker of the candles kept me from seeing what color it was. He walked straight to me and handed me the flower to add to my others.

"Jasper? What's going on?" He answered me with a kiss, sweet, soft, and gentle.

Without breaking it, he pulled me to him, crushing my bouquet between us. He deepened the kiss, barely allowing me time to gasp for air.

All of my worries, doubts, and confusions flew out of my head as if I were a snow globe with a leak. I wrapped my arms around him and pulled him even closer. He finally broke the kiss and rested his head on my shoulder, breathing heavily.

"What's this, Jasper?" I never could be silent when I really should be.

"You're enchanting, Alice," he whispered against my lips.

"You fascinate me," he whispered against my cheek.

"I thank God every day that you're mine," against my jaw.

"You light my world with your overwhelming joy," below my ear.

"You're my best friend," my earlobe in his teeth. I realized he was saying the meanings of the rose colors. My breath accelerated even more with the knowledge of the last three rose colors.

" The way I feel about you is so intense, so passionate, and so pure," back against my lips.

"I love you, Alice," he said, leaning his forehead against mine. His bright blue eyes were dark with the meaning of the coral rose. I felt too far away from him and lifted my mouth to meet his.

He was so much taller than me that he had to bend and slump over to kiss me. I knew it was an uncomfortable position, so I led him to the table and scooted back on it. It was higher than a normal table so I could reach him better.

I could feel the meaning of the coral rose in his whole body that was pressed against mine, and reached to unbutton his shirt. He stopped my hands.

"Not here, darlin'." He grabbed the vase and I followed him, suddenly back out at the limo. We kissed many more times before we got back to the hotel, and I remembered that white and red roses together meant unity.

He stopped outside mine and Bella's room to put up a "Do Not Disturb" sign and left a note for Edward in their room.

My bed was covered in coral colored roses, but I didn't need them to see, and feel, that he desired me.

"I love you, Jazz."

**A/N: I didn't mean for the last chapter to be a cliffie, and I'm sorry it seemed that way. I'm having some issues with the next chapter, so I decided to go ahead and post this. Hey, at least it's an update, and not an A/N, ;].**

**Here are the websites I got the information from for the rose color meanings, just in case you wanted to check that out:**

.

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	24. Chapter 23

**A/N: Poll up on my profile. Vote and help me out. **

**The house I had in mind for Edward's is linked on my profile. It doesn't exactly match up, and I didn't really detail it too much, but that's the one I used in my head. **

**Sorry this one took so long. I've had a ton of trouble with it. I would like to thank my new beta **herinfiniteeyes** for helping me out a HUGE amount with this. Yeah, I had so much trouble I had to get a beta. But she's great, and so are her stories. Go read them.**

**I also realized that the websites for the rose meanings didn't show up on the last chapter. I thought I had made sure it wasn't in html code, but I guess I was wrong. Here they are: **

www(dot)rosefloral(dot)com/roses

www(dot)shabbir(dot)com/romance/rosemean

**Disclaimer: All things **_**Twilight**_** belong to Stephenie Meyer.**

Chapter 23

EPOV

I sat on the couch, stunned, for a few more moments after the door closed behind them. What just happened? I thought Bella and Rosalie made Alice promise no shopping today? And Bella just let her pull her away from me?

"Heck, no!" Before I knew what was happening, I was up off the couch, out the door, and across the hall. Alice must have heard me, because she opened the door before I even reached up to knock.

"Yes, Edward? What can we do for you?" She asked, crossing her arms.

"Get Bella, Alice."

"Why? We have things to do." I overreacted a little bit at her refusal.

"Alice! You can't take Bella away from me today! I have her until 11pm, and I will not let go until then!" Alice's eyes narrowed at me, gauging my heavy breathing, try to see how serious I was.

She seemed to shrink away from me and stepped back, holding her arms out in an "after you" gesture. I went to the door she'd indicated and jerked it open to see my Bella, looking all confused and concerned.

That's right. She is my Bella. And she doesn't have to go back to Forks, either. She could stay right here in Hollywood, with me.

I was still slightly ticked at Alice for the stunt she'd pulled, so my driving was a bit too fast. I couldn't believe she tried to take Bella away from me just to go _shopping_. Darn pixie. My train of thought wasn't helping my speed and I really didn't want another ticket. The police kept the first few under wraps, but they'd threatened to leak my next one to the media.

Bella was silent, cowering in the passenger seat, her eyes glued to my face. I knew she was scared by my speed, so I tried to slow my speed down to 80mph.

I had to admit that it wasn't just Alice that had my brain all mixed up. I hadn't been thinking straight since last night's premier, really. Just about the only thing my brain seemed capable of right now was yelling at me just how much I wanted Bella.

I wanted Bella in so many ways…more than I'd ever wanted any other woman I'd ever met. It was more than just physical, though that was definitely higher on my list right at that moment…

I glanced at her from the corner of my eye. She seemed a bit calmer, but still wasn't looking out any windows. Since she wasn't paying attention to what we were passing, she didn't see we were getting to the nice section of town.

I got more nervous as we got closer to my house. Sure, Bella had seen some of the proofs that I was rich. My car, the first class plane tickets for four, the five-star hotel, the limo, the premier, the dinner after the premier. But for all she knew, that could have been easily paid for and set up just to impress her.

Now we were going to my home. The one place I could, and was, completely myself. The one place I wasn't famous, wasn't posing for cameras, and I wasn't worried about my reputation.

Carlisle and Esme, my parents, had always treated me as just plain Edward. Nothing more special than their much loved son. I had to admit it annoyed me sometimes that they weren't impressed by my accomplishments.

I pulled up to the front gate of the community and punched in my code; the guard didn't come in until noon on Sundays. My house was at the end of the cul-de-sac. Technically, it was actually my parents' house, but they were currently living just outside of New Orleans, enjoying the extended renovation of a southern plantation home. They hadn't lived in Beverly Hills since I was 18, old enough to keep house for them.

Just like most houses in the area, it wasn't much to look at from the road. It was mostly garage, with a small front entrance to the left of the short drive way. Carlisle had built it for Esme in 1970, according to her own design.

I was nervous because inside that house was solid proof of my status. It was tastefully decorated, but everything screamed luxury, expense, and attention. And Bella had a hard time with things like that.

It'd taken me forever to get her over her aversion to famous things and people. Sure, she'd treated me just like anyone else from the beginning, but she fought hard against opening up to me. And, then there was the kiss.

Dear God, just the memory of that kiss had me glancing at her lips every few seconds. I had to kiss her again, and soon.

I had her to myself all day today. No police sirens, no cold wind, no Alice. No interruptions at all. Of course, I'd be working like crazy the whole time trying to maintain control. I didn't want to scare Bella. It seemed like she was inexperienced, not that we'd ever talked about it. She did kind of fumble about and blush a lot when I touched her, though. Not even a skilled actress could pull off "complete virgin" that well.

I hit the automatic garage opener and pulled my car in the four car garage. I didn't get out until the door was completely closed behind us. My Volvo's tinted windows kept my residence here a secret. Not that I was ignorant of the fact that three other celebrities lived on my block alone.

We hadn't spoken the entire 20 minute drive, but it had been a comfortable silence. I loved that about Bella. With other girls I had dated I felt the need to prattle on during silences, too nervous and uncomfortable to not say something, eager to move on to whatever physical stage we were at. It was great to have company and silence at the same time sometimes.

"Well, here it is," I said, opening her door. I held out my hand, needing to touch her. She took it and got out, still holding on to that bag that Alice had thrown at her. What was Alice thinking? That just reminded me of this morning and I had to calm down again.

Bella looked around curiously at the two other cars, one of which was the Vanquish from last night. I guessed that Emmett had somehow found time to return it for me.

"Do you live alone?" Bella asked.

"Yeah."

"What do you need three cars for, then?" That's Bella for you. She drives an old truck and can't comprehend my love for cars. I shrugged.

"I like them. The Vanquish, the one we drove last night," I explained, "is for very special occasions. The Volvo is for trying to be inconspicuous. The jeep is driven most often by Emmett, but I like to go out in the woods occasionally."

"Ah, okay," she nodded. I led her inside, not quite sure what to do now that we were here. I had a game room, a pool, a theatre room, and an exercise room. None of which I could see Bella doing.

The non-gentleman side of me suggested exactly what we could do, but I beat down the monster. Bella was not like that, and I wanted to move at her pace. It normally wasn't this hard to reign him in, but Bella did things to me that I'd never felt that deeply before.

"Wow," Bella breathed as we entered the kitchen from the garage.

"Yeah. It's not much from the street, but the best part is through the back." I led her to the sliding glass doors and smiled at her gasp. The canyon valley stretched beyond the trees in the back yard. It was amazingly clear for LA, barely any smog clouding the deep blue sky.

We stood at the doorway for a few minutes, Bella looking at the valley, me looking at her. I really didn't want her to go. Plans were forming in my head. Words were forming on my tongue. Plans and words that should never be voiced. I needed a distraction. Bella cleared her throat.

"Um, Edward, can I use your bathroom? Um, I didn't get a chance to really get ready this morning," she asked, blushing. I laughed, realizing that it was probably a good thing Alice interrupted our kiss. Morning breath.

"Sure, come on, I'll give you a tour."

I led her through the kitchen into the open den and up the back steps. I wouldn't risk her in my bedroom, so I just showed it to her from the door. I led her back down the front stairs, chuckling at her gasp of awe at my book and CD collection. It was only part of it, stashed in built-in cubby holes along the stairwell.

"You can use this bathroom. I'll be in the kitchen just through there, fixing brunch," I said.

"Thanks," she replied, closing the door behind her. I ran my hand through my hair and stalked to the kitchen. I smiled as I took out bacon, tomatoes, lettuce, mayo, and bread. As simple as BLTs were, I would always think of them as _our_ meal.

I missed Forks. I smiled when I thought about what I'd drawn on her cast. That reminded me I had some setting up to do. I wanted her to understand what I'd drawn when I finally let her see it.

BPOV

I was happy to be able to brush my teeth and my hair. I guess Alice had been planning her little tirade this morning because the duffle bag had clean clothes, toothpaste, toothbrush, and other morning items. My mind flashed back to the ride home from Seattle.

Of course. I guess she was more cunning than I'd given her credit for. I'd been expecting Alice to do something more obvious to get to Edward. That's probably why she'd agreed to let me buy my own dress and had kept my make-up toned down last night. Edward liked me, plain as I was, and she would have chosen something not me.

And then she'd gotten Edward all riled up so he'd do something drastic, like cart me off to his secluded house. I could smell bacon cooking and smiled at the memory of our first meal together. He was still surprising me even now.

I knew he was rich. I mean, come on. A few very successful movies can bring in millions. And this house, while spotless, was obviously not brand new. It matched the modern style of most houses on the west coast—a style in fashion in other parts of the country, too.

Why would he ever want me? Tanya was beautiful, as were each and every one of his former co-stars. Most of whom he'd dated. They were rich too, and could navigate in this world much easier that I could, unless Edward stayed glued to my side 24/7. Not something either one of us would obviously want.

I found my way to the kitchen and took in the sight. Edward had his back to me, slicing tomatoes on the counter. His tight pajama shirt clung to his back, and with each slice I watched his muscles move. I smiled sadly. There's no way this demi-god was meant for me. But it was too late for that; I needed him.

I put my arms around his waist and leaned my cheek against his back, feeling him move as he made our brunch. We hadn't really talked much today, but I wasn't complaining. There was too much to say, and I didn't want to ruin our time together.

My eyes were closed, so I just felt him move in my arms and pull my chin up.

"Bella…," he breathed, smelling like peppermint. When did he brush his teeth? His soft lips met mine and I kept my eyes closed, relishing in that feeling. I pushed our lips closer, and felt his raise in a smile.

"Come on, love, eat before your bacon cools down," he whispered.

"I'm not hungry." Well, not for food anyway. His smile turned mischievous as if he could read my thoughts. They were probably all over my face anyway. He handed me a plate, and took my hand. We ate, holding hands, talking about all kinds of things.

There were two subjects, though, that we avoided like the white elephant in the room. Me returning to Forks, and our new status.

We lounged around his house, reading, watching movies, teasingly trying to beat each other at different games. I, of course, lost more than I won. I refused to let the white elephant get to me, so I continued to ignore him even when he kept getting bigger and bigger.

We watched the sunset from one of his many balconies, and the air turned colder. I laid my head on his chest, breathing hard from our latest kiss, just as the sun dipped below the horizon.

"It's a shame you don't have a hot tub, Eddie," I teased. "We could enjoy being outside longer."

"Of course, I could always put in a Jacuzzi…. But I'd have to have someone here to enjoy it…," His voice trailed off.

"This house sits empty so often. We have a maid who airs out the rooms and dusts twice a week, but no one is here to enjoy anything. I would love to put in a Jacuzzi," he teased, "but I'm never here."

"Have you ever considered selling it? Surely Carlisle and Esme wouldn't grudge you that. I agree that a house this amazing should be enjoyed."

"Well, they have tried to get me to sell it," he hesitated and avoided my eyes. The atmosphere turned more serious now.

"But…?" I prompted.

"I grew up in this house, and really love it. I hoped to keep it and one day have my family live here," he said, still not meeting my eyes. I understood now.

"Bella," he began, then paused.

"Bella, I don't want you to go." His emerald eyes burned into mine, trying to persuade me to stay.

"Edward I can't," I said, tears streaming down my face. He gently took my face in his hands, turning my body to face him, and wiped the tears away with his thumbs. "I have no where to stay."

"You could stay here," he whispered. It hurt so bad to tell him no. I shook my head.

"I have to go back to Forks, Edward."

"I know," he said. His head hung low and he moved to rest his forehead on my shoulder. I wrapped my arms around him.

He drove me back to the hotel in plenty of time for me to pack and be ready for our evening flight out. He tried to hide the pain in his eyes at my refusal, but I knew him well enough now to know it was there. I'd tried to explain to him why I couldn't leave Forks, but I couldn't quite articulate it to myself. It just didn't feel right, at this time, to move to Hollywood.

Edward drove me, Jasper, and Alice to the airport; Rose and Emmett were driving separately. Rose just barely made it to the gate in time to make the flight. I was even later, not willing to leave Edward. Who knew when I would see him next?

He had press to deal with tomorrow and Tuesday he would fly back to Iowa and continue filming. I had my own responsibilities, including a boatload of homework I'd neglected this week.

I fell asleep on the plane, not wanting to talk to anyone about anything that had happened. There would be plenty of time to go over the "juicy details" with Alice and Rosalie once I had calmed down.

**A/N: The poll up is about what you want me to work on once this story is complete. So, let me know by voting!**


	25. Chapter 24

**A/N: Alright, the poll is still up, and will be up until I'm finished with this story. Which will not be as soon as I thought. It definitely won't end at chapter 25.**

**Also, if you think really hard, you should be able to figure out why Bella said no to Edward's offer. Still no? Well, she explains it in this chapter. **

**This is a filler chapter, so it might seem a little slow. Sorry. I had to get this through to get to the next thing. **

**Thanks to my beta, **herinfiniteeyes** for catching some dumb mistakes and helping me nail down a few issues.**

**Disclaimer: All things **_**Twilight**_** belong to Stephenie Meyer.**

Chapter 24

BPOV

"Isabella, explain this," Mr. Morgan said. A magazine was flopped down on the desk between us. I was speechless. I couldn't believe what I was seeing.

There, on the cover of some celebrity magazine, was a picture of Edward, at the premier. He was holding someone's hand, and she was no longer in the background where she was supposed to be.

For a second, I was more shocked that Mr. Morgan had recognized me. I barely did. I had avoided all mirrors that night, unwilling to wrestle with my self-esteem. It had to be me holding Edward's hand in the picture, because she was wearing the Calvin Klein wrap dress I'd worn.

I barely recognized her because she was beautiful. I knew that Alice and Rosalie had done little to me, wanting to keep me as close to myself as possible, but I couldn't believe the change. A playful smile rested on her slightly uneven lips and she blushed, looking at Edward, gorgeous as always.

I couldn't say anything.

"I thought you assured me you weren't taking advantage of our guests. I thought you knew our policies," he fumed.

"Wait, no, I didn't take advantage of Edward. We're friends. That's all. Nothing more," I could hear the sadness in my voice at that. I had left Hollywood without really knowing anything more now than before I went. Mr. Morgan jabbed the magazine cover with his finger, breaking into my thoughts.

"_That_ is you. _That_ is Edward Cullen. He was a guest at this hotel for five weeks a couple of months ago. You were working the first week of his stay. Unless you can convince me that you were friends before then…" He folded his arms across his chest and glared at me. I'd never been at the receiving end of one of those glares before.

I couldn't take my eyes from the magazine's front page. Another proof of Edward's fame. Another proof that we were from totally different worlds. I spent four days, seemingly comfortable, in his world, only to get slapped with reality my second day back in Forks.

If I was going to get fired, why did they let me work Monday night? Why not just call me up yesterday and tell me this news? The date on the magazine was Sunday, so Mr. Morgan had known all this before today. I was suddenly sure the premier pictures had been all over the tv, too. No wonder Edward had just wanted to spend Sunday at his house.

"I thought not," Mr. Morgan continued. "You used your position here as manager to get onto the red carpet. What, so you can get famous?"

"Of course not! It's not-." He cut me off.

"How dare you. Lauren informed me yesterday of how you've been bragging about Edward."

"What?! No, I didn't!" That witch! She was the one who told those teens Edward was at our hotel! "Edward and I became friends. That's all. He invited us to Hollywood and insisted I be his date to the premier."

"And how did you become friends? He was only here three days before you broke your ankle."

"Well, see, um." Oh boy. How would I explain this? I knew he wanted to fire me, but maybe he was giving me a chance to get out of it. The only way to possibly get out of it was to blame Edward for my broken ankle.

Even though it was partially true, it felt like I would be betraying him if I blamed him. Especially since it was my fault too.

"Okay, well, he was rude to me his first night here. I tried my best to accommodate his request, but it was the beginning of the season and we just didn't have the rooms. After that he kept trying to apologize even after I'd accepted it."

"And you became friends that way?" I nodded. "But that doesn't explain it really. You only saw each other three days before you had to take leave." I did some fast rewording.

"He was in the gym when I broke my ankle. I didn't want to disturb the guests with an ambulance, but I couldn't walk by myself. Edward and one of his bodyguards carried me to Edward's car and then to the hospital." Mr. Morgan took a deep breath and let it out. I'd never been a good liar so I had stuck as close to the truth as possible.

Unfortunately, I was an even worse liar than I'd thought. He'd misinterpreted the signs and thought I cooked the whole thing up.

"I'm sorry Isabella. You've worked here ten years and I had high hopes for you. We've never had any trouble out of you before now. In the past three months, though, you've been nothing but trouble. I hope to have celebrity guests see the Meadow Hotel and Suites as a safe, private, relaxing place to come to get away from people taking advantage of them. I cannot have my employees thinking it is okay to date guests."

"We aren't dating," I protested. His face flushed with anger and he flopped another magazine down on the desk. It was open to the center fold. I gasped.

Two glossy pages of pictures. Us at the Chinese Theatre. The almost-kiss at Tommy's. More from the premier. Leaving the restaurant after the premier. And each and every one of them was of us alone. None of our friends were anywhere near us. It looked like we were dating. And the headlines didn't help at all.

"I'm sorry Isabella. I'm giving you the option to resign because of your past record." He paused, waiting for my decision.

To resign seemed like admitting that I'd broken the rules and had done something wrong. I knew I hadn't. Edward had pursued me. He pushed to be friends and I had resisted as much as I could. It turned out not to be enough, because I was being punished for something I never had. Oh I sure did wish I was guilty, though.

I pushed thoughts of our relationship out of my head.

To be fired, though, was embarrassing. And it could make it extremely difficult to get another job. I bit back my tears, wanting someone else to have to do this for me. For the first time in my life I wanted someone else to take care of me.

"I did nothing wrong. But I choose to resign, anyway."

"You leave on good terms, and I will gladly give you any reference you may need." I stood up, annoyed that I would probably have to take him up on that offer since that was the only job I'd ever had.

I left his office and tried to get past Ericka. She wasn't having that.

"Bella! I'm so sorry!" She hugged me. "I tried to tell him that he's wrong, and that he should never listen to Lauren, but he's so mad. She's always wanted your job, and she's still pissed that you wouldn't let her little friends see Edward."

I nodded and told her goodbye. She promised to call me, but I doubted she would. Ericka was a few years younger than me and we weren't really friends.

I didn't have anything to gather, having already been ready to leave when Ericka arrived.

00000000000000000000000000000000

"Bella, you'll be okay," Alice soothed.

"Yeah, I mean it's not like that's what you wanted to do forever, right?" Rosalie tried.

"You're still working on your Master's degree, and when you get that, you can do so much better than the Meadow," Alice said.

Rosalie had found me in my room, crying. She had some news to share with Alice and me, and she'd come in, expecting me to be asleep, and fix us a surprise dinner. I surprised her by being still awake (not having slept at all), and bawling my eyes out. It wasn't until Alice got home that I was calmed down enough to tell them I got fired.

"Thanks guys. I'm really sorry Rose for messing up your surprise. I'm just messed up in the head right now. So much happened this weekend."

"Yeah, we know," Alice said.

"Actually, we don't know," Rosalie contradicted. "We haven't heard one bit of what happened, Alice."

"Oh yeah. We haven't," Alice smirked. They were trying to distract me. It wasn't really working because Edward was part of what was stressing me out. But I appreciated their efforts.

"So, Bella, what happened? You and Edward official now?" Alice begged. I took a deep breath. I guess I could tell them what happened. It might help them understand why I was hyperventilating over a job I didn't really want.

"Well, we didn't really talk about what we were, actually," I started.

"What?! You mean he had you all night Saturday and all day Sunday and nothing happened?!" Alice squeaked.

"Well, um, n-not nothing. We just didn't talk about what did happen," I whispered.

"Did he kiss you at least?" Rosalie asked. I nodded. They both squealed and hugged me.

"Oh, Bella, I knew it! I knew you two were great together! This is fantastic!" Alice bounced up and down on my bed.

"Calm down, Alice. It was just a few kisses. Like I said, we definitely avoided the relationship conversation."

"Bells, it's at least some progress. We thought Alice was going to have to lock you two in a room to get even that much to happen," Rose said, rolling her eyes.

I didn't know if I should tell them about Edward asking me to move in with him. They both knew how inexperienced I was and how determined I was to do relationships the right way. Rushing into anything was not me. I was serious, responsible, mature.

Getting fired changes a lot of things. I almost couldn't believe I was reconsidering his offer.

"Bella, what's wrong? Did something else happen?" They both looked at me with concern.

"Edward asked me to move to Hollywood. And I said no." They stared at me with their mouths wide open.

"Wow." They both said at the same time. I nodded again.

"I had to say no, guys. I mean, I love him, but I haven't known him very long. And I don't really know him that well. And he's always traveling to movie shoots and stuff," I tried to explain.

"We know, but Bells, you love him," Alice pointed out.

"How often have you been in love with someone?" Rosalie asked. "Not even Jacob had that feeling."

"You're not some flighty girl, falling in and out of love with someone at the drop of a hat. You know him well enough to love him. That's all that matters," Alice said. Then she got a drop of mischievousness in her eyes. "At least you're not like Rose here who thinks she knows if she loves a guy in the first two seconds."

At that I had to laugh. That was our Rosalie; always a bit more interested in physical chemistry than real love. She pushed me over onto Alice who pushed me back. And then she broke out in laughter herself. We were suddenly all laughing until we were having trouble breathing.

"Seriously Rose, you go ahead and tell us your news," I said, trying to change the subject after our laughter had died down.

"Oh yeah! You said something happened, right? Good something, we hope," Alice said. Rosalie flinched and hesitated. She looked at me like she was trying to gauge my mood and how close I was to crying again.

"I don't know if now is a good time to say it," Rosalie hedged.

"Come on. I need some good news right now," I begged.

"Ah, um, okay. But remember, this is good news." Rosalie breathed in deeply. "I'm moving to Hollywood to live with Emmett." Alice and I froze where we were. Rosalie getting that serious about a guy.

"See, I know I've only known him a few months, but guys, this is me we're talking about. I know you never believe me, but I really can tell about a guy in the first few minutes of knowing him. But with Emmett, it's been different the whole time. I've never met someone like him before. I'm a multi-faceted woman looking for a multi-faceted man who fits all my facets. And he does. He fits me perfectly." She stopped there, her face beet red.

I knew why she was hesitant about telling us, well, me. She was so sure about Emmett after only a few months. But then again, she was gorgeous. She easily fit into the glamorous world that Emmett lived in. There weren't the same complications, though, because he wasn't constantly in front of the camera.

"Oh, Rose. You're leaving us?" Alice finally spoke.

"Yeah. It had to happen someday. We can't just live our lives in limbo, right? Alice, you and Jasper seem to be getting pretty serious. Bella's bound to capture Edward eventually. If not, Jacob's still waiting."

I leaned over and hugged her, ignoring the whole Jacob thing.

"Congrats, Rose. I'm really happy for you," I choked out.

After a few more laughs and tears, Rosalie left Alice and me to go start packing. She was leaving in two weeks.

I just wanted to curl up in bed and call Edward. I had talked to him briefly Monday in between his interviews, and he was traveling today. He thought I would be at work tonight, and would probably call me at 6am, my usual time to get off work. I reached for my cell, planning to leave him a message if he didn't answer, but it rang.

It was Renee. With more great news for me. Really? Was my day not already shot to pieces? Why did this all have to happen at once? Maybe give me a week or two to deal with one thing at a time.

"Bella, are you sitting down?" She said, not even saying hello.

"Hello to you, too, Mom."

"Hi, now, are you sitting down?" I had to smile at her enthusiasm. I wondered what my eccentric mother was excited about this time.

"Yes, I'm sitting down."

"Okay, guess what! Phil got a job coaching a minor league baseball team!"

"That's great, Mom."

"Yeah, so, we need to spend lots of time together in the next few days, unless I can convince you to come with us."

"Huh? Come with you? Go with you where?"

"To Jacksonville, FL, silly! Didn't I tell you that's where the job is? Anyway, they want us down there and settled before Spring training, so we're leaving in a few days. As soon as we can get all packed, anyway. Isn't this great?"

"Yeah, sure, Mom. That's great that Phil got a job doing what he loves." I could hear how flat my voice sounded, but my attempts to sound cheerful were in vain.

"Okay, well, I don't want to keep you. I know you're at work, so I'll let you go. Love you, talk to you later! Bye!" I stared at the phone for a few beats before snapping it shut.

I had turned down Edward's invitation to move in with him. I had gotten fired from my job just for being photographed with Edward. Rose was moving to Hollywood. Renee was moving to Jacksonville.

What could go wrong next?

**A/N: Poor Bella. I know, I know. This is a sad one, too. And it didn't have Edward in it. You're all probably hating me right now for what I'm putting them through. But that's just the flow, guys. Can you honestly say you'd read a story that was all kicks and giggles the whole time? Thought not. Gotta have a little conflict. **

**Good news is that it will be a happy ending, because I'm a hopeful romantic. And I'm trying to get the next chapter out faster than I have been, but life happens, and it usually happens all at once, just like with Bella.**

**Please, don't hate me!**


	26. Chapter 25

**A/N: I really love you guys. I love reading your reviews, even the ones that just order me to update, lol! Also, I just wanted to remind everyone that I am now a beta. If you want me to be your beta, read my beta profile and then let me know. I am only beta for two stories and would like to beta for more.**

**Also, just an update with the poll. Open Your Mouth is winning by two right now with your desire for a new story in second. Better vote for what you want, people!**

**Alright, on with the next chapter.**

**Thanks, as always, to my beta **herinfiniteeyes. **She rocks!**

**Disclaimer: All things **_**Twilight**_** belong to Stephenie Meyer. I also do not own **_**People Magazine**_**. That's quite obvious.**

Chapter 25

EPOV

"Hey, Ed, you talked to Bella today?" Emmett asked, sounding distracted.

"No, I haven't talked to her since yesterday. I figured she'd be sleeping today so I was going to call her before work. Stupid plane delay." We were walking through the airport in Cedar Rapids, Iowa, headed out to the rental car. From the airport it was an hour and a half drive to where we were filming the movie.

"I really wanted to talk to her, too. I don't want to disturb her at work, though." I smiled, remembering Bella at work; her beautiful brown hair spilled over her shoulders as she bent over the desk, reading.

"I don't think that will be a problem," Emmett said, interrupting me.

"Huh?" He looked pained for some reason. I panicked, instantly fearing the worst as always.

"What happened? Is Bella okay?" I nearly shouted, calling attention to us. I ignored them and grabbed Emmett's arm, surprisingly pulling him to a stop.

"Calm down, Edward," he soothed. "Bella is physically fine."

"Stop hedging Emmett and get to the point. Just tell me-." I stopped because a magazine cover caught my eye.

I couldn't believe it. I had finally rated the cover of _People Magazine_. Wow. And then my gut twisted at the sight of Bella's hand in mine.

She said no. Of _course_ Bella said no, Edward. She's Bella; the one woman in the world who doesn't ever do what you think she will. I still couldn't figure out why I'd jumped the gun. Sure, I kind of knew she'd say no, but after that kiss, I thought I had communicated my love quite effectively. Guess not.

Yes, I wanted to go at her pace, let her get used to me slowly, trying my hardest not to scare her. But I sure as heck didn't want her to leave me.

I bought the magazine. I had a picture of her on my cell phone; one of those cameos you sneak while the person isn't expecting it. I got that in Forks. But that tiny photo was nothing compared to a full color, 8 ½ by 11 inch, glossy picture of my Bella dressed up.

"Wow. Nice one, Eddie," Emmett said, peeking over my shoulder. I barely flinched anymore at any nickname now that Bella regular used one to tease me. Emmett brought me back to the present, and our conversation.

"Emmett, don't distract me. What were you talking about?"

"Well, this, actually," he said, grabbing the magazine from me. He flipped it open to the center fold and handed it back.

"Whoa! How the crap did they get all these?! Where were the rest of you?!" I was used to being photographed; it came with my job and the fame that I really enjoyed, when I wasn't burnt out on it. But it was rare to find one devoid of any of the many people I knew constantly surrounded me. Not even Emmett, my faithful bodyguard showed up in those candids.

"Those paparazzi are good, Edward. They must have worked hard to get those shots. They had to have seen the vibes between you two and singled her out as your love interest even before the premier." None of the reporters yesterday had mentioned these pictures.

"D-do you think they're harassing Bella? Could they have already found out where she lives? Is that what's the matter with her?"

"Well, those pictures did cause problems for her. A huge problem. She got fired."

"Because of these?"

"Yeah. Rose said her boss was pissed off because you two were together. He accused her of taking advantage of her position to get famous."

"But she's worked there for ten years. Doesn't he know by now that Bella isn't like that? That she doesn't even like attention?" Could that be why she said no? Because of the media attention? Could she really not handle even that small piece of my world?

"Rose said there's this chick Lauren that told her boss that Bella leaked the news about you being at the hotel and then Bella went around bragging that she landed you and got to go to Hollywood." My jaw clenched in anger. That little witch. I knew that it was Lauren that told her little friends about me. They were Lauren's age, why would Bella tell them something like that?

I flipped open my phone. It was midnight in Iowa, ten in Forks. Would Bella be awake? I didn't know since she worked nights. I tried her cell anyway. Straight to voicemail. Why hadn't she called me?

Oh yeah. She probably blamed me for getting her fired. It was my fault, afterall. Once I found something, or someone, I wanted, I tended to go after it, no matter how selfish it was.

Bella had seemed to fit so well in my world that I might have forced her into it. It seemed natural while we were together. I guess I had been wrong about that.

I left Bella a falsely cheerful message, letting her know I was landed in Iowa and that I would call her later.

I still had to figure out how to get her job back and do something about Lauren.

**BPOV**

I woke up with a splitting headache. The sun was too bright for it to be the afternoon when I usually woke up. It seemed like I had slept too long and had been crying, but I couldn't remember anything.

I stretched and rolled over. I couldn't remember exactly what day it was, either. I had a vague notion that it should be Wednesday.

Sometime in the night my cell phone had gone dead. I plugged it in and turned it on. The screen said it was Wednesday morning. Nine am? Why was I so awake at nine in the morning? When I got back from the bathroom there were three voicemails on my phone.

Edward's message was from the night before. "Hey, Bella, it's me Edward. Just calling to let you know I got to Iowa safely. I'll call you later, bye, love." I smiled. I wasn't one for gushy nicknames, but "love" was better than "baby" or "honey".

Renee had left the next message. Short and sweet, just a "call me later, honey."

"Bella, this is Alice. Call me when you can. I want to know how you are." Her voice was full of concern.

I kind of thought something unpleasant had happened yesterday, but my brain was still fogged by too much sleep. My body was leading me more than my mind, and I followed its request for food.

I wondered if you could get jet lag flying in the same time zone.

Alice called again while I was eating.

"Hey. How are you feeling?"

"Uh, horrible. I slept way too long. I can't remember why, though."

"You don't remember?"

"Uh uh."

"Bella, Mr. Morgan fired you," she whispered.

"Really? Oh. Yeah, I remember now." I groaned and put my face in my hand. The fog had lifted slightly, but it still wasn't exactly clear.

"Did you call Edward yet?"

"No. He left me a voicemail last night, but I haven't been up that long. My cell died sometime last night and I guess he didn't want to disturb you. You think I should tell him?"

"Of course, Bella. He's your friend. He cares about you. Why wouldn't you tell him?"

"Because he'll want to know why I was fired, and I can't make it seem like he isn't to blame."

"It is kind of his fault, though. It isn't right to keep this from him."

"I know. But, at least on my side, things are a bit awkward between us right now."

"You really avoid things, don't you?"

"Alice, I--." She interrupted me.

"Isabella, listen to me. Edward cares about you, very much if my eyes see correctly. You can't keep pushing him away like this. He'll eventually give up and walk away."

"I don't push him away. It was our first kiss on Saturday. Before that I had no clue he liked me enough to kiss me. I still don't know where we stand. I kept waiting for him to bring it up, but he didn't. I'm not going to kiss him for the first time one day and move in with him the next." This was ridiculous.

Everything was just happening a bit too fast for me. Just a few days ago, I was sure that Edward only saw me as a friend and would never see anything else in me. And then he'd kissed me.

The electric current that still flowed between us when he touched me had been a two-way current after all. It wasn't a one-sided thing.

But it was still just my first kiss, my first real love. Sure, I'd had feelings for guys before. Jacob came very close to being my first love, but what I'd felt for him came nowhere near what I felt for Edward. Even before I felt he shared my feelings. I had no clue how experienced Edward was.

I could only guess, after a kiss like that, that we might be something more than friends. But, then again, Edward surely had had more than one kiss before. I hadn't brought anything up because I didn't want to ruin anything. Maybe it wasn't that important to Edward, just some girl to flirt with for now, and someone to toss away later.

But then, I thought I'd felt more from him. He'd brought me into his home, showed me where he lived when he wasn't acting, where he could be himself. I shook my head, trying to clear it of conflicting thoughts.

"But you _have_ fought him every step between that first meeting and now. You didn't even want to talk to him when you first met, even though he tried so hard. You let him go to the set without even giving him an idea that you loved him."

"But I didn't know before he left."

"Yes you did. Bella, you knew before we went to Hollywood; you knew before he left Forks. Did you tell him even part of the reason you said no? Did you tell him how _you_ felt, or did you just chicken out, not taking the risk? And now you're keeping this from him too?"

"Alice-."

"Bells, you know I love you. I know you're in love with Edward Cullen. You can't let this pass."

"I know. But Alice, I can believe he _cares_ for me. But how can I know he _loves_ me? He's a famous actor, Alice. He could have any woman he wants. Why would he want a plain Jane like me who is three years older than he is?" Alice sighed. I knew she'd also rolled her eyes.

"Whatever, Bella. Have you played any CDs lately?" That was a sudden mood shift.

"Um, no. Not since we left for Hollywood." I was confused by the subject change.

"Go push play on your CD player."

"Huh?"

"Just do it, Bella," Alice sighed.

I left my half-eaten breakfast on the coffee table and walked to my bedroom. Why hadn't I already noticed the blinking number 10 on the LCD screen? I popped the lid open and pulled out the topaz-colored CD. "For Bella" was the only written on it—and in Edward's writing.

"You there Bella?" Alice said, reminding me she was on speaker phone.

"Uh huh." I put the CD back and closed the lid.

"Push play. It should be on number ten."

I shuffled through the songs and hit play on number ten. I closed my eyes and took in the music. It was upbeat, but had an underlying melody that grabbed me. It was piano music, but I didn't recognize it.

I had forgotten Alice was still on the phone until I heard her squeaking at me through the speaker.

"Alice? Sorry."

"Finally."

"Alice, what is this?"

"Edward gave it to me to give to you. I'd almost forgotten about it. I put it in your player last night."

"What is that song, though? I've never heard it before."

"I don't know. He just said the CD was for you. Listen, I gotta go. And you need to call Edward. He loves you Bella; I'm sure of it."

"Sure." I hung up and stayed seated. There were many things I could, and should, be doing.

My trip to Hollywood had put me behind in reality. My school work was suffering as was our poor apartment. It definitely needed some TLC. Then there were stories and poems to write, books to read.

But I continued to sit there. I'd let the CD start over at the beginning of what turned out to be a mixed CD. The songs ranged from classical to oldies to rock, and ended with the song Alice had told me to play first.

Each song seemed to have some special meaning. I picked out melodies, feelings, and phrases that seemed to apply to Edward and me. But that last song—piano only, no lyrics—had a different quality to it. Not as refined a sound as the others, as if it were recorded live instead of in a studio.

It made me wonder if Edward had finally made good on his deal and let me hear him play his music. He still owed me that from when he read my stories.

**APOV**

I felt bad for being so harsh with Bella, but I needed to make sure that she would be okay. Rosalie was moving to Hollywood, Renee to Jacksonville, and I would be leaving her soon, too. Bella liked to think she took care of herself, but she'd miss us if she were alone.

I stretched in my desk chair and sighed happily. I stared at the ring on my finger. My ring!

Jasper had proposed Monday night at dinner. It wasn't as grand as I had fantasized. No lights spelling it out as we flew over a field in a helicopter. No dozens of roses. No surprise shopping spree at Tiffany's ("Sweet Home Alabama" style). No ring even hidden in a dessert.

None of that. It was just sweet and straightforward and full of emotion. Just like Jasper. And that was all I needed. He stuttered through it, nervous and unpracticed, telling me he'd planned on some grand proposal. But he couldn't wait any longer, not after Saturday.

He'd just bought the ring that afternoon.

It glittered now on my hand. Gold, sparkling, elaborate—the exact opposite of the proposal. It still made my insides vibrate with joy. There was a knock on my office door and the sexy man himself popped his head in.

"Hey," he smiled. I jumped up and kissed him. I linked my fingers behind his neck and he held me up by my hips.

"Hey Jazz," I smirked when we broke apart.

"I like that kind of greeting," he breathed. "Why can't you do that more often?"

"Hush. You know I don't do PDA." He reluctantly nodded. He settled in my desk chair and I settled in his lap.

I really couldn't get enough of this sexy beast of a man. He drove me crazy by simply rubbing my back and sides, seemingly absentmindedly. We sat there for a few minutes, being very touchy (wink). I finally sat up to get a breath.

"How's Bella?" Jasper asked. It was kind of awkward to talk about another woman while in make out mode, but he knew it had me worried. I guess I seemed a bit distracted.

"Confused. She still doesn't know how Edward feels about her and it's making her doubt as always." Jasper rolled his eyes. "I'm trying to push her because I think that's what she needs, but she's fighting me."

"Did you tell her about this yet?" He took my hand and played with my ring. My ring! I shook my head and kissed him.

"Not yet. She found out about Rosalie and Renee moving in just a few hours. She seemed dazed when she told me about her mom. She probably doesn't even remember the conversation. She barely remembered getting fired. It would have really overloaded her to hear about us too. "

After another almost-satisfying kiss, Jasper left, his lunch break over. I would miss Bella, but I couldn't wait until the lifelong sleep over with Jasper Whitlock began.

**BPOV**

"Okay, guys. So, um. I just wanted to continue with a little girl time tonight," Alice said. She seemed to be hiding something which was usually hard for her.

"Two nights in a row? Are you okay, Alice? I mean Jasper's going to feel neglected," I pointed out. It was so odd. We used to just hang out on the weekends at clubs and things, but now we were acting all, _adult_. There wasn't even any alcohol around.

"What's your news?" Rosalie bluntly asked. She shared a stare with Alice who finally gave up. Rosalie was in no mood to beat around the bush. With Alice, as difficult as it was to keep a secret, surprises were huge affairs.

"Fine," she pouted. "Look what Jasper gave me!" She held out her left hand. Oh my God. Not Alice too!

Alice and Jasper are engaged? My brain was on overload with all this news and changing going on. Thank God Charlie was staying in Forks. Once again, I suffered through dinner, grasping at any excuse to get back to the sanctuary of my room.

How could Rose and Alice be so sure after only a few months? Sure, Alice had known Jasper over a year now, but, up until the last few months, not very well.

Is it possible to _know_ about someone without knowing how they feel? Without coming right out and talking about how they feel? Can feelings be conveyed and received without words?

I knew that feelings could be conveyed. That's what love languages were for. Mine was touch. Many times while Edward was in Forks had I had to tuck my hands under my arms to keep from touching him. Sometimes I had found my hands reaching out suddenly without warning and almost touching Edward's face or arm. I was able to nonchalantly cover for myself, though.

If my friends were so sure, couldn't I be too?

Take the risk, Bella. What's the worst that could happen if you tangle your life with Edward's?

A heart smashed to pieces and a hole in my chest where it used to be.

"'Tis better to have loved and lost than never to have loved at all," Alfred Lord Tennyson reminded me.

My fingers were dialing his number before I was consciously aware of it.

"Bella," Edward breathed, as if in relief.

"Hey."

"Hold on, Bella," he said. He put his hand over the mouthpiece, but didn't quite muffle his voice completely.

"Tanya, can you not do that right now? I need to talk to Bella." I couldn't tell if he was annoyed with her or teasing her, though it sounded like he had laughter in his voice. Jealousy boiled up in me. It was so not fair that she got to hang out with him even off set.

"I'm back. Sorry. Tanya was trying to talk to me about hat stupid song for that stupid scene again." His explanation didn't quite fit his words to Tanya, but I blanked over that fact.

"Why are you guys so hung up on that? I thought the music wasn't added until post-production?" He chuckled at me.

"The music we pick for this one scene is so crucial that we want it before we shoot it. It doesn't really work without music setting the mood. The director refuses to wrap the scene until the music is perfect."

"Oh."

"Hey, isn't it 8pm there? Shouldn't you be at work?" It seemed like he was trying to keep something out of his voice. There was a tone in the velvet that I couldn't quite identify.

The question itself could be taken to mean that he didn't want to talk to me. His tone seemed eager, relieved? Impatient? Leading? Implying something?

"What? If you don't want to talk to me I can always hang up," I teased. I wanted to know what his tone of voice meant.

"No!" He nearly shouted. "Of course I want to talk to you. I miss you. I just-I just didn't want to get you in trouble at work."

"I'm not at work."

"Why not? Are you sick?" The tone was back. Maybe he was trying to lead me somewhere?

"No, I'm okay. How was your flight?" I chickened out. I just couldn't tell him and let him blame himself. He had his own problems to worry about.

"It was long. We were delayed because of snow in Cedar Rapids. Or else I would have called you earlier last night. How was your first day back at work?" His voice was definitely thick with implication this time. I must have been imagining it, though, because there's no way he'd know I got fired, right?

"Fine. Did you know Rosalie is moving in with Emmett?" I thought I heard him sigh.

"Yeah, Em told me. Listen, Bella-." I didn't know what he was going to bring up next, either work or the topic of moving in, but I didn't want to talk about either one.

"And Renee and Phil are moving to Florida," I interrupted.

"Bella-."

"And Alice and Jasper are engaged?"

"Bella, I know," he blurted out. I shut up.

"What?" He sighed again.

"I had hoped you would tell me. Rosalie told Emmett and Emmett told me." I processed what he was saying.

"Oh," I finally said.

"Bella, love, why didn't you call me?"

"Because I knew you'd blame yourself. I didn't want to add to your stress with your movie and all. I didn't want you to feel guilty when it isn't your fault. I called to tell you, but you sounded so relieved and happy to hear from me. I miss you, too."

"I was relieved and happy. I am. But you can tell me anything and that won't change the way I feel when I get to talk to you. Please, tell me anything, even if you think it will hurt my feelings. I'm a big boy, I can handle it," he laughed.

"Sorry."

"I am too. I called your boss and tried to explain, but he didn't even believe me. He acted all star struck until I mentioned you. Lauren really pulled one over on him." I could picture his gorgeous face distorted with the disgust that went with that tone of voice.

"What are you going to do now?" He asked.

"Well, I can't afford to be without a job very long. I didn't have a lot of time to save up a lot of money after I went back to work after my ankle healed. That took up most of what I had saved up."

"I'm sorry, Bella," he said again.

"I don't blame you Edward. You and I and our friends know the truth and that's all that really matters. I wouldn't choose a job over you anyway."

"Hey, I have an idea. Why don't you come visit me here in Iowa for a couple of weeks? Take a real vacation before finding another job?"

"I'd love to, but I couldn't afford-."

"Isabella. I'll feel better if you let me do this," he interrupted.

"But-."

"Please, Bella?" How was it possible to dazzle someone through the phone? I could only imagine how much worse it would be if we were face to face.

"Please?" He asked again. This time there was no hope in it. "I barely got to see you this weekend. I really miss you." He sounded so discouraged.

"Well…," I said.

"You know it'd be fun. And the author of those books is supposed to be onset sometime soon," he said, the hope back in his voice.

"Oh, alright. Sure. Rent isn't due until next week and I already have that. Give me this week for Renee and Rosalie and I'll fly out Monday."

"Yes! Alright! That's my girl."

**A/N: So, it's a long one this time. Also, I'm guessing most of you have seen the movie, right? I've seen it twice, and I'm still not quite sure how I feel. It was good, I guess, but the hype was way too high. At least they're doing **_**New Moon**_**. And a lot of the issues I had before I saw the movie were solved when I saw it. Eh, third time's the charm, right? At least that's what I'm planning… If I can find someone to go with me again.**


	27. Chapter 26

**A/N: Okay, I've decided to close the poll. I will be posting a new story soon, but the first page is a warning. It will be very different from anything else I've written, thus the warning. It's called "Forerunner Jack", and the gang work on a cruise ship, but it is NOT a sequel to "Ship Wrecked". But I am also working on "Open Your Mouth", so don't fret. **

**Also, "Changing Prejudices" was mentioned in a great **_**Twilight**_** newsletter called "The Twilighter Times" by Number- 1- Twilighters. It's a newsletter full of articles about **_**Twilight**_** and suggestions for great stories to read. You should so go check it out. And not just because I was mentioned. **

**A HUGE thanks to my wonderful, talented beta **herinfiniteeyes, **as always!**

**Disclaimer: All things **_**Twilight**_** belong to Stephenie Meyer. **

Chapter 26

BPOV

I leaned my head back against the seat and sighed. The past few days had been brutal. In between helping Renee and Rosalie pack I had put in applications to a few hotels.

Friday Renee and Phil had driven off towards Florida on their week-long vacation/ moving trip. They were taking it slow to enjoy the drive, and each other, as a kind of second honeymoon.

Alice and I had seen Rosalie off earlier this morning. It was two hours before my own flight that left Seattle at 8am. Emmett had already come and gone with a truck load of all of her stuff on Saturday.

Both goodbyes were more tearful than I was completely comfortable with, and both women tried desperately hard to get me to come with them. I had no idea when I would get to see either one next; my own future was still too unsure.

I was playing around with the idea of moving to Hollywood, though I wasn't telling anyone that. There were plenty of hotels there I could work for, and I was close to completing my Master's program, anyway. It would probably be easier to get my book published there rather than Forks.

There were positives and negatives, and I tended to dwell on the negatives too much. I put my ear buds in my ears and turned my iPod to the CD Edward had burned for me. I put it on repeat and listened to it for most of the flight. We had an hour layover in Minneapolis, and I wandered the airport, anxious to get to Edward.

I had two weeks to enjoy being with him before I had to make up my mind, so I pushed all negatives away and imagined our reunion. I daydreamed about him. His sleep-twisted auburn-bronze hair. His deep Irish-green eyes that sparkled with mischief and deeply held secrets. His body that I had only seen once not fully clothed, that jump started my over-active imagination. Maybe I could get another peek sometime these two weeks…

I didn't know who to expect to pick me up. I knew Edward was filming like mad to get the movie finished in time, and he could only promise to try to be in Cedar Rapids himself. It would mean at least three hours away from the set, not including the time he waited for me.

I definitely didn't expect the throng of screaming fans and frenzied strobes from paparazzi. I ducked back into the terminal, scanning the crowd for someone I recognized.

I found someone, all right.

In the middle of the chaos a head of strawberry blonde curls bent over, signing autographs and speaking in the eager ears of reporters. Tanya seemed to be enjoying the spotlight. She was perfectly made up in a green sweater and dark grey wool pants. Not one hair out of place, and make-up so perfect it looked natural.

I took a deep breath and edged my way out of the tunnel and around the masses to grab my suitcase. I adjusted my lap-top case over my shoulder and looked around again, hoping to see Edward, or at least someone with a sign bearing my name.

"We really should stop meeting like this." I shuddered as Edward breathed the words on my neck. He wrapped his arm around me, and I turned around.

"How would you prefer we meet?" I played along.

"Hmm. Let me think and get back to you on that."

"As long as you do get back to me." His eyes darkened slightly, and I thought he was going to kiss me.

He abruptly released me as if on command, and grabbed both my bags. I felt my face fall with disappointment until I remembered where we were. An airport full of paparazzi. Crap.

"Edward!" Tanya called. He moved me behind him as the cameras flipped our way.

"Alright Tanya, let's go. We've got to get back to the set," Edward called. His voice was carefully, and falsely, upbeat. Her eyes slid unwillingly over to me and they tightened slightly. I could barely see her over Edward's shoulder, and hoped that the paparazzi didn't figure out there was some weird girl hiding behind him.

Tanya expertly extricated herself from the group and walked over to us. The fans disbursed, hyper about their autographs, but the cameras followed her every move. It was unavoidable.

The frenzy of voices grew louder as we turned and Tanya looped her arm through mine and we followed Edward out of the airport.

I smiled at yet another silver Volvo rental car. Did the boy not realize there were other cars in the lot?

"It reminds me of home," Edward answered my unvoiced question.

"Oh Bella, we're so glad you could come! Aren't we, Edward? Movie sets are so exciting! Edward talked so much about you that everyone is dying to meet you," Tanya gushed from the back seat. For the entire hour and a half ride to Fairfield, where the movie was being filmed.

I had been looking forward to some alone time with Edward—something that had seriously lacked, even in Forks. Once we'd all six become friends, we were always together. I resented the fact that he'd let Tanya come.

"So, Bella, Edward said your boss fired you because of the pics in _People_," Tanya chirped. There was a gleam in her eye when I turned to answer her. It looked like a mixture of jealousy and mischief. I wondered if she thought she was fooling me. Because she wasn't. I was a writer, and therefore an expert people watcher. I could spot insignificant details from a mile away. Three miles for important ones.

"Yeah, but it was just a job. I'm working on my Master's degree right now and needed money. Jobs aren't too difficult to find if you're not looking for a career." This time there was a flash of disappointment in her eyes. Her acting skills needed some refreshing.

She cast a quick glance down at my hand clasped in Edward's. So quickly that I would have missed it if not for the way her face distorted. Just a little. She paused for a moment but continued on, cheerfully asking questions. She barely paused to let me answer them.

Edward seemed frustratingly content to drive in silence, occasionally squeezing my hand or rubbing his thumb over the back of my hand. I was flashed a lot of his crooked smiles, though, for certain answers I gave or comments I made. They never ceased to take my breath away.

In spite of my hopes, I knew that my alone time with Edward would be scarce these two weeks, and I resented the loss of even thirty minutes. But Edward had said that Tanya was like family after two other movies with her, so I tried to contain my irritation.

**EPOV**

Ah, she's here. Finally. I couldn't get enough of just looking at my Bella, even just sitting in the car, talking to Tanya. Just being with her settled so much in my life, and I drove in silence. I had encouraged Tanya to get to know Bella better. The premier hadn't gone off too well, but that was my fault. I had needed Bella right there next to me on my big night. Especially once I saw her in that wrap dress.

Tanya had offered to come along and take advantage of the drive to get to know Bella better. She would also take care of any fans we drew at the airport.

I caught Tanya's eye in the review mirror and smiled my thanks to her for coming. I knew our presence at the airport would cause a stir, but I had no clue the stupid reporters would be there. How had they known? Who were they there looking for? Bella?

Had they found out where she lived and followed her to Iowa?

I tried to rein in my thoughts. I didn't want to waste the two weeks with negative thoughts. Besides, this would be another opportunity to see how Bella dealt with another side of who I was. I really wanted her to know all of me, and then make a decision about moving in with me. Maybe she just got scared by all the media attention because she wasn't properly prepared for it.

All too soon we pulled up in front of the hotel. It had taken some convincing, but I got Tanya to trade rooms so that Bella could be next to me. I would have rather she be in my room, but next door would probably be better for her.

**BPOV**

"Take your time to settle in. Someone will come by to get you later if we're shooting late," Edward said. He'd carried my bags up to my room, but unfortunately had to hurry back to the set. He turned to look at me as he was walking out the door.

Before I could say anything in reply, even goodbye, his lips crashed into mine. I would have fallen over backwards if his arms hadn't been wrapped around my waist.

This was not a sweet kiss like the first one. This was not a careful kiss like the ones we'd shared at his house. This one was…eager? It was more, um, forceful. I could actually _taste_ how much he'd missed me in that kiss.

And then he was gone. I was stunned for a few moments, watching the room door slowly close on its own. The lock clicking into place woke me up. God I wanted him to kiss me like that again.

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"Bella!" Emmett boomed as soon as I opened the door. He picked me up in a squeezing hug.

"E-mm-ett," I managed to gasp. He sat me down on my feet, laughing. I knew from Rosalie's stories of him that Emmett was very boisterous and loud. I also knew from my own experience that he was freakishly strong. But I'd only ever hung out with him around Edward.

He'd been Edward's friend and bodyguard so long that, even while not on the clock, he was automatically subdued around him. He made sure that he didn't bring too much attention to himself or Edward. He even acted subdued when not in public.

Now that he was not on-duty and Edward was nowhere to be seen, he was unrestrained and _loud_. I tried to get him to calm down, but I don't think it really worked.

"Hey, Emmett, where's Rose? Aren't you supposed to be in Hollywood right now, setting up housekeeping?" Emmett flinched and ducked his head.

"I helped her unload, but she kept telling me to get out of the way. I wasn't supposed to be here until Friday. She's only lived there for a few hours and already kicked me out." His pouting face was so funny that I couldn't help but laugh.

I had been waiting three hours for someone to pick me up or for Edward to call. Nothing. So it had been a surprise to see Emmett at my door. I thought for sure that by 9 pm, which was approaching, that they'd break for the day.

"Anyway, Rose is at my house, turning it into _our _home, and I'm here. My orders are to take you to Edward." He offered me his arm, which I took after grabbing my purse.

"Are they still shooting this late? Isn't it almost 9 pm here?" He nodded.

"Yeah, but they sometimes go 'til three or four in the morning." And he wasn't kidding.

Security waved us through without any problems, and Emmett parked his car. He headed to an area in the dark that was lit by a bunch of spot lights like those at a baseball stadium. I could barely make out a large group of people standing around under those lights.

When we got closer, I realized they were set up for the graduation scene from the book. I scanned the crowd and finally found Edward, dressed in a gaudy yellow cap and gown. His face was lit up with laughter and Tanya was holding onto his arm. They were off to the side, by themselves.

Jealousy flared up in me, but the cameras were rolling so I couldn't go over there.

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Twelve times. They reshot that one scene _twelve freaking times_. It was relatively simple. A simple graduation ceremony and the screams of excitement and congratulations afterwards. Just a minor bit of drama thrown in towards the end. Nothing too difficult, right?

Except they were using real high school students who were a bit excited about being in a much-anticipated movie with _the_ Edward Cullen and _the _Tanya Sadocha. They kept tripping up or moving too slow or moving too fast. They looked straight at the camera. They squealed when Edward walked by. They cat-called when Tanya walked by.

I really wanted to stay, to talk to Edward even if it was just a few seconds. It wasn't enough anymore to just watch him. I needed to interact with him, to touch him, and have him touch me. I craved even innocent touches now.

Finally, the director gave up when Tanya's mouth opened in a huge yawn. The extras had been yawning all night, but the stars caught her attention.

"Okay, guys. I guess that's all we're getting tonight. Go home, get some sleep. But be ready to work bright and early. The call times are the same! Extras! Remember what time you were told to be here!" She tried yelling, but it was a lost cause. The group was disbursing, headed to their cars in the parking lot. It was 3 am.

Edward trudged towards us, his shoulders slumped. Tanya walked alongside him and neither one seemed up for talking. Emmett and I had squatted down on an old picnic table pretty far from the actors' locations. I didn't know if he knew I was there or where I was.

He surprised me by walking straight to me and putting his head on my shoulder. He yawned into my neck and I shuddered with the shock of his warm breath. I put my arms around him and he groaned.

"Bella," he breathed. I moved my hands up his back to his hair. I ran my fingers through it, trying to comfort him even a little. He slumped down into me even further and wrapped his arms around me. We stayed like that a while, but then someone coughed next to me.

"Sorry to break this up, but, uh, they're about to turn out the lights and we've got a 10 am call time," Tanya said, not quite looking at us. Edward groaned again and stood up straight.

"Right. Well, let's go. Um, uh, Emmett?"

"Got it. Come on, Tanya. You're riding with me. Let the two love birds ride alone." Tanya didn't say anything, but over Edward's shoulder I caught a glare from her. She followed Emmett and I followed Edward in the opposite direction.

He opened the passenger door of his car, but his head almost split open with a yawn.

"Nope. There's no way I'm letting you drive in your condition," I said.

"Bells, you don't even know where you're going," Edward responded. I flipped open my cell phone and dialed.

"Hey, Emmett? Yeah. Listen, there's no way Edward can drive safely, and I don't know the way back… No, it's fine. I can drive; just let me follow you back to the hotel. Alright, see you in a few." I hung up and met Edward's bloodshot eyes. I took hold of the passenger door and waited for him to get in.

Of course, he stood there, stubborn, probably warring with his need to sleep and his need to be a man and in control of his vehicle. He blinked first, yawned again, and gave up. I closed the door for him and got behind the wheel.

I found Emmett's car and followed him the thirty minute drive to the hotel. Edward was asleep before we even got to the main parking lot where Emmett had parked. It was really difficult to get Edward awake and to the elevators. It took me and Emmett both to support him.

It must have been a really bad day for him to be that zonked out, but then I'd never seen him that tired before. He was always well rested when we'd been together before.

We never managed to get more than a groan or a mumble all the way to his room. I helped Emmett sit Edward on the bed. I figured he would be more comfortable without his coat and shoes, so I awkwardly took them off, my face red the whole time. Once his coat was off, we laid him on the bed.

"Alright, Bella, I'll leave the rest to you," Emmett winked, while I was getting Edward's socks. Was he one of those that slept in socks? Should I leave them on?

"W-what? No! I can't, I-I-," I stammered once I realized what he's said. I kept my blushing face turned to Edward's feet.

"Sure you can. When he's sleeping alone, he sleeps in his boxers. Just strip him down. Unless you were planning on staying…," he laughed. It wasn't booming like earlier, but more of a normal laugh. And it was further away than I'd expected.

I looked up to see Emmett already at the door. In fact, the door was open and he was half-way into the hall.

"Emmett, where are you going?"

"Gotta call Rose and get some sleep. You'll be fine here. Not a big deal. He has pajama pants in the top drawer over there." And he closed the door behind him. Oh no.

I looked up at Edward, sleeping peacefully. He had dark circles under his eyes where the stage make-up had smudged off. His lips were partly open as he breathed. His shirt was twisted from our struggle to get him stretched out on his bed. It had to be uncomfortable.

I tried to straighten it out, but Edward wasn't cooperating with me. I'd get one side straight, but then he'd move and mess up the other side worse than it was. Hmm. Maybe it would be easier to just take it off?

I mean, it's not like I haven't seen him without a shirt before. He had it off that day at the beach, and there were more people around than just me. Ignore the fact that this was a more intimate setting, Bella, what with it being his hotel room and all. And there just being the two of you. Right.

It was awkward trying to pull off his shirt while standing next to the bed, so I took off my shoes and coat and got up on the bed. Still awkward. I checked to make sure he was still asleep. Out like a light. I tried to remember my babysitting days; getting kids ready for bed without waking them up. I guess the easiest way is to get their arms out first.

I pulled Edward's shirt up on the side facing me. I tried to keep my hands to myself because I didn't want to tickle him and wake him up. That would have made my face explode with embarrassment. I reached under the shirt and bent his elbow, pulling his arm through the sleeve. I walked around to the other side of the bed and did the same with his left arm.

Now was the tricky part. I had gotten off his coat while he was sitting up, but he was laying down now. I tried kind of rolling him up on his side, but his body didn't want to cooperate, and he was so heavy.

The only solution I could come up with made me break out in a nervous sweat. The problem was leverage. I needed to be above him to get his shirt over his head. Oh my God. I took a deep, steadying breath and climbed on top of him, and straddled his hips.

I couldn't resist moving a little slowly as I worked his shirt up his back. His muscles were rock hard and so warm. I worked it up to his neck and leaned over him to pick his head up. Oh that was a mistake. It felt way too good. I think Edward might have woken up a little because he moaned and tried to shift underneath me. Bad idea.

I froze, leaning over his body, holding his shirt up around his neck. He let out a huff of breath but didn't move any more. I gently picked up his head and pulled his shirt the rest of the way off. Now was the tricky part. I needed to get off of him without falling and without him knowing I was there.

I shifted my weight to my right, hoping to just roll off of him and then off the bed.

"No," Edward mumbled. I froze again, face engulfed in flames, and prayed he was just talking in his sleep, and had not woke up to discover me molesting him.

"Stay, Bella," he whispered, and rolled with me, landing me on the bed at his side. I was still facing him, and his whole body was pressed to mine. If I had been standing I would not have been able to for long. He wrapped his arms around me and pulled me even closer, smushing his shirt between us.

There was no way to get away, and I thought that at least he wasn't wearing uncomfortable jeans. I did _try_ to get away, but he mumbled again and locked his arms. So I did what I had been doing the whole time I'd known him; I did what he wanted.

I realized that was all I really wanted to do anyway. Hollywood here I come.


	28. Chapter 27

**A/N: As always, a big thanks to my beta **herinfiniteeyes**. She really rocks and helps make these chapters great. **

**Okay, so I'm warning you now that next chapter will have some drama. Be prepared. You can handle it.**

**Disclaimer: All things **_**Twilight**_** belong to Stephenie Meyer. **

Chapter 27

**EPOV**

I was beginning to think this was a bad idea. But bad in a good way. I wasn't completely awake last night, but I did know what I was doing when I rolled over and took Bella with me. At first it was just to get her off me. She obviously had no idea what she was doing to me, and I needed to do something. Since I didn't think she was ready for what I _really_ wanted to do, I rolled over.

But then she felt so perfect there in my arms. It was soothing. It was calming. It was erasing a crappy day's worth of exhaustion. So I pretended to be asleep. She'd sighed before relaxing and eventually falling asleep.

It was nice to be able to hear her talk in her sleep again. I'd wondered what she'd been thinking about since Hollywood and my disastrous request. It turned out that even in her dreams I couldn't figure her out.

"Yes… I'll go." That was the only coherent thing she'd said all night. Or all she'd said before I had fallen asleep myself.

Now, I had woken up to her still cradled in my arms, her perfection glaring in my face. And I had discovered what a bad idea it was. I tried hard to think about sobering thoughts. Her father, the chief of police, for instance. The problem of that stupid song for that stupid scene.

There we go. That's a good distraction. And I'm calmed down. This song was going to drive me insane. It needed to be perfect. To perfectly reflect the relationship between the two main characters, but not be too mushy romantic. This was a cool romance movie for cool teenagers.

I resisted the urge to tighten my arms when Bella started waking up. I closed my eyes and breathed in the smell of her shampoo as she turned her head. Then I realized she was trying to escape. My voice came out in an unintended whine.

"Where are you going? My alarm clock has not gone off yet. Go back to sleep." I needed more time with her before the day began.

**BPOV**

"You're awake," I said, surprised. He nodded and smiled sleepily. "I didn't scare you this morning, did I? I tried to leave last night, but you grabbed me-."

"I know," he smirked, eyes still closed.

"You know?"

"Yep." He opened his eyes to look at me and his grin grew larger. "It's kind of hard to stay asleep when a beautiful girl is sitting on you." I covered my face with my hands and groaned.

"You weren't supposed to be awake! Emmett left me and then your shirt was all twisted and it looked uncomfortable. I had to at least try…." He pulled my hands away from my face.

"Bella, it's okay. This is a good way to spend more time with you, since I'll be very busy filming."

I wanted to stay there in his arms all day long. It felt so right to be where I was, confirming the decision I'd made the night before. I needed to be with him. When he touched me, it was like I'd been in pain and he was the relief.

I opened my mouth to tell him about my decision to move in with him, but his cell started ringing. It was Tanya, making sure he was awake and would be ready to head to the set in time.

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"And…action!" The director called. I was hanging out on set, again watching the attempted filming of the graduation scene. It was night, and it was cold. They were scrambling around, trying to get it done before the threatened heavy snowfall. It was late September, a bit early for snow even in Iowa, but the forecast had threatened the snowstorm for days.

It was the fourth night in a row they'd tried the scene. Everyone had their fingers crossed as they got to the point where Jackson, one of the other actors, had messed up every single time. At least there wasn't any kissing between Edward and Tanya in this scene.

Emmett and I held our breath along with the crew as Jackson successfully nailed his part. Our excitement was barely contained for the rest of the scene to be filmed.

"And, cut! That scene is wrapped!" The director called.

"Finally!" One of the extras called. Everyone laughed in relief.

"Okay kids, go home. Today has been a long, hard day, but we've made up a lot of time that was lost. We'll go ahead with the scheduled break tomorrow, but be onset at 5pm. Do not be late," she called over the celebratory sounds. It was almost as if the movie was finished instead of just the one scene.

I was suddenly grabbed from behind and twirled around in circles. I could smell Edward so I knew it was him, and I laughed with him. I had not had a chance to tell him yet. There was always someone there, interrupting our alone time.

I had spent every night in his room, falling asleep to his gentle breathing and waking up to his emerald eyes. Those moments were too special, too intimate to ruin with what could end up an awkward discussion. I mean, I had just said two weeks ago that I couldn't move in with him. I wasn't comfortable discussing my feelings, and I didn't want to tell him I loved him before he told me.

So I kept my mouth shut, watching and waiting.

"Alright. Now we can go do something," Edward said, setting me down and grabbing my hand.

"But Edward, it's midnight. Where are we gonna go at midnight in Fairfield, Iowa?" I asked. In those four days, I had learned quickly that there wasn't much to do around there.

"Um, well…." Even Edward had no idea what we could do. "I wish you'd come last month. That was when the State Fair was in town."

"Maybe we can just relax and hang out back at the hotel." And maybe we can get in a romantic-type mood and I can tell you I decided to move to Hollywood. I think. No, I know. My conviction that it felt right to be with Edward wavered only about once a day now. Before it had wavered every time I remembered that we weren't official or anything yet.

_Yet_, I always reminded myself. I had little experience in these things, but I knew what I had seen in movies and had read in books. Those things made me feel the same way that Edward made me feel sometimes when he looked at me a certain way.

We ended up in the hotel hot tub. With six other members of the cast, including Tanya.

"Hey guys!" Tanya called as we walked out of the family locker room. She was surrounded by five of the guys from the cast and was barely covered by a small neon green bikini. At least she knew what looked good on her.

I just had on a simple one-piece. No way would I be caught dead in anything less than that.

"Hey," Edward answered," guess you guys had the same idea we did." He smiled back at her. There was a flash of confusion and maybe embarrassment in his eyes. He recovered quickly, before I could ask him about it, and took off his shirt.

I admit it. I was practically drooling. He was just so casual about it. His swim trunks sat low on his hips, exposing even more of his nice abs than I'd yet seen. Tanya moved over to give him room, indicating he was to sit next to her. She didn't quite move over enough for both of us to fit, though.

"Bella? Are you coming in?" Edward asked, concerned. Guess I was still stunned.

"Yeah Bella. Don't tell me you've changed your mind," Tanya smirked. Of course Edward's back was to her so he didn't see a thing. "There's plenty of room for you." She inclined her head slightly, indicating a nice open spot between two of the guys.

"Yes, I'm staying," I said. I didn't like the challenge that she seemed to be throwing at me. I turned around to take off my shorts, laying them a safe distance from the edge of the water. I left my tank top on, though. I decided the best way to win with Tanya was to be myself. I refused to stoop to her level.

I knew she liked Edward. I knew she wanted him. She knew I knew. Otherwise she'd still be trying to pull the sweet friend act even behind Edward's back. Instead, she ignored me unless he was around.

I stepped towards Edward, making it clear that I expected to be next to him.

"Come on, Edward, make room for Bella," Tanya simpered, not moving one inch herself.

He moved over some as I stepped in, but I noticed he made a jerking motion and glanced quickly at Tanya.

"Sorry," he mumbled, almost too low for me to hear. Thankfully he moved closer to me once I was settled in.

Whatever had happened, Tanya didn't look like she needed a "sorry" at all. Her light brown eyes flashed with determination.

Edward put his arm around me and pulled me closer. I blushed, definitely uncomfortable with the audience to our PDA.

No matter how oblivious they seemed to be.

Edward didn't seem to have any problem and started playing with my hair. He joined in the teasing conversation, but would flinch or jerk every so often. I wondered what his problem was, but couldn't see anything under the frothing water. Any time I looked at him questioningly, he shook his head as though it was nothing.

Tanya was doing the most talking, laughing and flirting with all the guys. I didn't know them very well, so I just sat there, unable to really contribute. They were talking about parties and premiers and vacations. Things that movie stars just _did_. I'd only been to the one, and apparently that was nothing compared to how they usually party.

The guys even teased Edward about some parties, not even worried about the fact that I was sitting right there.

"Are you okay Bella?" Edward whispered in my ear at one point. It sent shivers all through my body. I was afraid my voice would be unsteady, so I just nodded. Edward seemed to find something about that funny, because he smiled. Then the smile took on a mischievous quality. He played with the strap to the tank top, sometimes even grabbing the bathing suit strap, too.

"Don't you think you'd be more comfortable without that shirt on? These jets work wonders on tight muscles. But they can't really do much through a thick shirt like that," he suggested. He kissed my neck just below my ear, sending waves of heat through my body, followed by shivers caused by his breath.

In spite of the fact that humor was not what I was feeling at that moment, I almost laughed. My tank top was thick? That was a lame reason to get me to take it off.

"Are you suggesting, Mr. Cullen, that I strip down to my flimsy, white bathing suit in front of all these hot guys?" I teased back, returning the kiss on his jaw. His eyes darkened perceptively and narrowed.

"You're right. Let's go upstairs," he whispered, suddenly standing up and pulling me with him. Wait, no, I wasn't ready for that!

"Leaving so soon?" Tanya asked. Well, practically purred.

"Really, I'm kind of tired," I said, faking a yawn. It was 3am. Maybe I could convince Edward I was tired, too. "See you guys tomorrow."

We picked up our discarded clothes and headed back to the locker room. It was a neutral place, meant for people to store stuff in lockers, and not for changing in. I pulled my towel from my locker, and started to dry myself off.

Edward took it from me and wrapped it around my shoulders, rubbing my arms dry. I tried to avoid his eyes, knowing that now was not a good time to lose myself in them.

The air between us was too charged, too electric right now. If we started, I didn't know where we would stop. It was that electricity that pulled my eyes up to meet his and his lips down to meet mine.

It was a slow, gentle kiss that deepened on its own, seemingly without any thought on our part. The electricity changed into a raging fire, deep inside me.

It scared me; the things kissing Edward made my body feel. I'd never felt it before, and I didn't know how to handle it. I had to pull away. My breathing came in gasps, and the shivers I felt had nothing to do with the cold I felt from still being damp.

I rested my forehead on Edward's shoulder and he started to rub my shoulders with the towel again.

"I think I better sleep in my room tonight," I finally whispered.

"I think so, too," Edward said, his voice deep and husky. I straightened up, grabbed the rest of my stuff and waited for Edward to get his stuff together.

I didn't want his feelings to be hurt. I prayed he would know why I stopped when I did. I grabbed his hand and we rode the elevator up to our floor in silence. I gave him another kiss at my room door.

It wasn't very long, but it was long enough to fan the flames again.

"Goodnight, my Bella," Edward whispered against my lips. It was just when I felt the flames would reach my heart; it was perfect timing.

"Goodnight Edward," I said, and closed my door behind me.

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I had been waiting for this. It was perfect. It was brilliant. It was my absolute favorite scene from the book. And I got to watch it being filmed.

While Edward was in make-up, and believe me he wore a ton of it, I cautiously wandered the set. The crew had gotten to know me by then and no one even flinched when I raised the tent flap and peered inside.

I tried to imagine the scene from the book. The two loves of the human girl have an important conversation in this tent. It was larger than I'd pictured, but still small enough to match the scene.

Of course, no movie could ever live up to the standards of the book, but this director had sure tried. At least it wasn't a complete failure.

"Bella," Edward called. He stepped around the tent and a beam of sunlight caught the highlights in his hair, making them sparkle. Or it could have been the glitter spray they'd used on him. It always seemed to end up in his hair. I knew how it did after I'd seen him. It definitely stuck to my fingers and definitely transferred to his hair.

He was just now getting out of make-up. So how had it gotten there this time?

"Hey," I called back. He smiled at me and took my hand. We looked over the set, and Edward seemed to approve.

I was distracted from that smile by the rest of the cast and crew for this scene coming around the tent corner. Tanya was among them and she was wiping something from her hand on her pants.

When she walked past, I saw it was glitter.


	29. Chapter 28

**A/N: So, some of you may have noticed that I didn't reply to your review. See, I couldn't because I didn't want to give anything away. But hey, it brought out reviews from people I've never heard from. Yeah, I know I'm evil. But honestly, I didn't realize that was a cliffie until you said so. Sorry sorry sorry sorry sorry sorry!!!!!! **

**But I can't really explain what the glitter was, either. If you didn't figure it out, then ask me later and I'll tell you. I have a running list of things to explain once all this is over. I must needs be secretive from here on out. But I love you all. Even though you will probably hate me soon.**

**Anyway, THANK YOU for the reviews. **

**Thanks **herinfiniteeyes **my beta, at least you're not mad at me. **

**Disclaimer: All things **_**Twilight**_** belong to Stephenie Meyer. **

Chapter 28

**BPOV**

I had been in Iowa now for a week and a half. Still no closer to telling Edward than I was before. It never seemed to be the right time. It wasn't something I wanted to just blurt out in front of the entire film cast and crew, but I was getting that desperate.

After the night in the hot tub, we avoided any activity that could push us too far. Edward sensed I wasn't ready for anything past second base, and he seemed okay with it. I was also trying to ignore little things Tanya did or said that might be done with the sole purpose to make me mad.

I was determined not to give in. Edward had asked me to move in with him, and I was going to do it. And I was going to tell him. Sometime soon. Before I left Iowa. Definitely.

The cast and crew were currently on their lunch break. Surprisingly, it would be a long one this time, for Edward at least, because of some scenes he actually wasn't in.

I had spent that morning talking to the author of the books. I was even more star struck with her than I had been in Hollywood. I mean, movie stars aren't really that impressive. But fantastic writers, come on. That's _real_ talent there. Though I'd never admit it to Edward. I knew how hard he worked on his craft.

We were talking in the food tent, sheltered from the blinding snow, when Edward came in. He plopped down next to me and cuddled right up to my side. I was only slightly irritated at him for interrupting our conversation. Only slightly, because he was much too close for me to even remember why I was annoyed in the first place.

"Is it lunch break?" I asked him. He nodded.

"Here, Edward," Tanya said, setting down a tray of food.

"Thanks," he replied tiredly. He started unwrapping the burger, but paused when he noticed I didn't have anything to eat.

"Bella? Do you want me to get you something?"

"Oh, no, I'm fine. I've already eaten," I said. "We didn't know how long you'd be before break and we were getting hungry."

"Oh, did you enjoy talking with her?" He asked, swallowing a fry.

"Yeah. Wow, Edward. It was so great," I gushed. He smiled at me, and my thoughts scattered. It was becoming easier and easier to do that with him. I was falling deeper and deeper in love with him.

Watching him with other people made me realize how kind he was. I couldn't believe that I had ever thought he was selfish, arrogant, or rude. He acted the same no matter who was around. Of course, I didn't know how he acted around just guys, but I had seen him when he thought no one else was watching.

I couldn't help it. I was so aware of him that I could almost feel where he was, as if he gave off a GPS signal that I picked up.

"So, Bella. Heard from any of the applications you put in, yet?" Tanya asked. She was politely interested, as always, but that gleam in her eye always gave her away. She'd taken it upon herself to remind me every stinking day that I was currently unemployed.

"Yeah, kind of. They sent me e-mails requesting interviews. I'm going to have a busy week next week when I get back to Forks," I answered. That was just for her benefit. She didn't know what I would more likely be doing next week. If I ever got to tell Edward I decided to move to Hollywood, that is.

Thankfully, Tanya was called off to start on her scenes. They were filming a lot with her today. I sighed with relief as the tent started clearing out. Finally alone. Edward heard me and said what I was thinking.

"Ah, alone at last," he said, slipping back into his normal accent. He had to sound American for the movie, but I always missed the sexy British accent he had. He wrapped his free arm around me, shoveling food in his mouth with the other.

"Calm down, Eddie. I'm not going anywhere. They probably will end up not needing you at all today. What with the way they have to keep reshooting so many times." He slipped in a kiss in between bites here and there, but just kept scarfing it down.

He cleaned his plate and dragged me with him to throw away his trash. He held onto my hand for dear life, shushing me when I tried to ask him what was going on. He led me to the back flap of the dinning tent, where he paused.

He peeked around outside, in spy-mode, checking to make sure the coast was clear. Finding no one, he jerked me out the flap quickly and towards a secluded tent. I guessed that this was the back lot of the shooting area since no one seemed to be around.

There were tents everywhere, filled with equipment and pieces of the set that were put aside until later. The snow crunching under our feet was the only sound.

He led me to a tent further away from the action than I'd been so far. It was definitely behind-the-scenes here. Inside the tent was a baby grand piano with a bench in front of it. Was he going to play for me? Finally? He led me to the bench and sat me next to him.

And he played. I found myself closing my eyes in wonder at the amazing music that just flowed in the air around us. I felt like I could almost reach out and touch each sweet note as it passed from his fingers into the piano, then into me. I reached up to brush tears from my face and the music changed.

It was the last song on the burnt CD he'd made for me.

"So you wrote this," I whispered. It was out before I realized it and he nodded.

"I wrote it for you. It almost has words to it, but I haven't quite caught them yet," he mused.

"Wow. This was inspired by me? That's unbelievable."

"Isabella," he said, reprovingly. "You don't see yourself clearly. You're brave and beautiful and stubborn and kind and intelligent and amazing. It's quite intimidating hanging out with you," he laughed. "I wanted so much to get near you when we first met. I wanted to know you, to earn the right to sit next to you and kiss you and hold your hand. You're like no one I've ever met." He continued to play, but his eyes were focused on mine, pulling me in, drowning me.

His lips brushed mine, but he pulled back again, making my stomach clinch with the pain. I needed him. I wanted him. And it didn't matter if I was scared of what might happen. Edward would take care of me. Suddenly I was also sure he'd go at my pace, wait until I was ready for the next step. After all, he hadn't run from me when I'd rejected him.

"Edward, I've thought a lot about what you asked," I started.

"About what?" He asked, still playing my song.

"About moving to Hollywood," I said.

"Oh, that. Listen, Bella. Don't worry about it. I shouldn't have said that so suddenly. I just didn't know when I'd see you again, and--." This time I interrupted him.

"Well, I've been thinking, and I've decided that--."

"Edward! That's it!" We turned around to see half the production crew standing at the tent flap, their mouths hanging open or huge smiles on their faces.

"Edward, that's it!" The director shouted again.

"That's what?" I asked. I was disoriented and extremely disappointed that we were interrupted. I glimpsed strawberry blonde hair behind the crowd and knew exactly who fetched the crew.

"That's the song we need! For the scene! It's perfect!"

"You think?" Edward turned his whole body around on the bench, his eyes flashing with excitement. "I haven't written any lyrics yet, though," he qualified.

"Doesn't matter. We've got to get you into a recording booth today so we can finally film that scene tomorrow! You can write the lyrics in time for the soundtrack, right?" And I'd lost him for the moment. He was up and over to them before I could say anything.

I was happy for him, I really was. Even if it was _my_ song they were using. Edward was a talented musician, and had been disappointed that none of his music had ever made the cut into any movie he'd played in. Here was his chance to broaden his horizons and let people know he was more than just a hot body.

I slowly followed the group, deciding it was time for me to head back to the hotel. There was homework I needed to do.

"I guess I'll be telling him tomorrow," I muttered to myself as I drove my rental car to the hotel.

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"Trust me, Bella. You do not want to be onset today," Emmett grimaced.

"But _why_?" I asked again. I had woken up this morning in Edward's room, alone. He hadn't even got me up to say goodbye. I felt slightly abandoned and rejected, in spite of all he'd said the day before.

Words whispered in the moonlight tend to lose their magic in the real world light of day.

Emmett had banged on the door as I was brushing my teeth and informed me I was spending that day with him. I was severely disappointed. And confused as to why Edward didn't want me around today.

"Can you not think of a few scenes from that book that you would feel _extremely_ uncomfortable watching Edward film? With another woman, at least?"

"Oh. Yeah," I said. As much as I loved that book, I could fully picture one certain scene from it I knew I would never want to see even in theatres with Edward in the role.

I was planning on telling Edward today. The director had promised the cast the evening off, and we were definitely spending it, alone, together. He was telling no one where we were going so that no one could follow us. I guess I wasn't the only one noticing his hangers-on. Groupies were so mood-killing.

"Okay, let's go," I sighed, linking my arm with Emmett's. I still had three more days with Edward, and surely, if not tonight, I could find some time to tell him, right? Even if I did just spit it out. Not the most romantic way, but maybe I could tell him right before we both fell asleep.

It was actually a fun day. Emmett had driven us to Des Moines, where we hung out at a few random places, including the zoo where he decided to have a staring contest with a grizzly bear.

"I make it a point to visit the nearest zoo to wherever Edward is filming. I do occasionally get my own days off," he'd explained.

"So what's up with the stare down?"

"I just don't want them to think I'm afraid of them. Grizzlies are nasty buggers to fight. Have you ever seen a grizzly attack on tv?" I shook my head no. I don't really watch much tv.

"It's gruesome. My friend James rented this sick movie _Faces of Death _one time. It's a freaking tape full of nothing but real people really getting killed. He's a sick puppy, I'll tell you that. I didn't get past the first few seconds, which happened to be the grizzly attack. I had to leave." He shuddered with the memory.

"Emmett, you are one random guy, you know," I said, shaking my head.

"Yeah, I know. But at least I have fun and am never boring!" He grinned.

"Well, not so far," I agreed. Not boring, but not someone I would want to deal with everyday on full-blast. By dinner time I was exhausted and just wanting to relax in Edward's Jacuzzi and order room service. Maybe he wouldn't be back too late tonight and he could join me.

I sent him a text at 2 to let him know I'd be back in town by 6 or so. I didn't get a reply so I figured he was still filming. Emmett had moved on to the mountain lions and was running back and forth in front of their pen, trying to race one of them.

I didn't understand how Rosalie handled him. He was a very physical person, living in the 'now' and giving very little thought to anything other than his own pleasure. But then again, that might describe Rosalie, too…. At least he knew when it was time to be serious.

"Hey Emmett!" I yelled. There was no way I was catching up to him at his speed and with my balance. He didn't hear me, so I headed towards the far end of the pen. He would eventually turn back and head for me.

And he did; only I was not prepared for it. The mountain lion pen was squared off at one corner because it was at the end of the big cats' exhibit. He came running around the corner at the exact time that I approached it. Of course we ran into each other. And of course I got injured.

At least it wasn't a broken ankle. No, this time it was only a strained wrist. Not even a sprain, according to the zoo doctor. That was comforting, except that it still hurt. Emmett and I cut our trip short and headed back to Fairfield early.

Yeah, it may have been just a strained muscle, but it ended up being worse than a broken ankle.

We got back to the hotel at 5pm. It gave me extra time to soak before dinner, assuming that Edward had gotten my message and they would be finished shooting soon enough. I still hadn't received a reply to my text, which was unusual. Had he not had a break at all in three hours?

Emmett wasn't staying on our floor. It was kind of a hassle, him being Edward's bodyguard and all, but the hotel had had to give his room to someone else while he was helping Rosalie move. Emmett would be moving into my room when I left.

Hey, I had to keep up the _appearance_ that I was sleeping in my own room. No one would ever believe that I had slept in the same bed as Edward Cullen for a week and a half and nothing past making out had happened. The media would have a field day if they ever caught me coming out of his room at all.

The hotel was rectangular, simple, and had six stories. It was a straight-forward design, with two sets of elevators—one on each end of the hall. I have no idea how I missed it when I first stepped off the elevator. I can only say that either I was very distracted by the pain in my wrist, or was sheltered by extreme denial.

There were two people pressed up against the wall a few doors down from the elevator. The strawberry-blonde curls bounced as the girl was forcefully thrown up against the wall, the girl's hands entwined in the messy hair, pulling the guy with her.

I was frozen. I felt all the blood rush from my face and a small noise escape my lips. The man jerked free of the girl's fingers at my cry. All I could do was shake my head, trying to erase the image of his entire body pressing against hers. Including his lips.

"Bella, no," Edward whispered.

"W-wh-what?" My eyes finally focused on the smirk on Tanya's face. She wasn't even trying to hide her satisfaction.

"Wait, Bella. This isn't what you think!" Edward's strained words caused me to move my focus to him. "Bella, don't go, you've got to listen to me!" I hadn't even realized I was backing away…

"No. Edward. It doesn't matter," I finally managed to get out.

"It doesn't matter?" He repeated, pausing. I shook my head.

"No, it doesn't."

"But, Bella, I love you," he stammered.

"NO! Don't you _dare_ say that _now_!" He started walking towards me again, and I froze when he reached me and grabbed onto my arm.

"Bella, I love you," he said again.

"What? How can you say that after what I just saw? Two weeks ago you kissed me like that. Two weeks ago, I thought you loved me! But you never said it." Of course he never said it, Bella. He's a movie star. He doesn't _have_ to say "I love you" to get girls to make out with him.

"You never said it, Edward. Because you don't," I whispered. This was some sort of mockery of my realization that Hollywood was where I belonged, wherever Edward was. I had indeed been following his lead the whole time. And he'd been intending to leave me high and dry the whole time.

"Bella, I _do_ love you, this was not me--," Edward stuttered. But I couldn't listen to him. I'd fallen into the trap. I'd fallen in love with a character that he happened to play. Hadn't I known from the beginning that he was different from the freaking fictional character? Hadn't that been my mind's argument from the first time we'd spoken?

I wrenched my arm out of his fingers. "Get out of my face. It's none of my business who you kiss. We were never more than friends." He just blinked at me. I ignored the pain my statement brought to those eyes.

"I said; get out of my face, Edward. Don't speak to me. Don't look at me." He stretched his fingers towards my face, about to touch me.

"Do not touch me," I growled. I tried to ignore Tanya, but her face was in sharp focus as I shoved past the still-stunned Edward and went to my room, slamming the door. I threw myself back against it and slid down to the floor, wrapped my arms around my knees, and let the tears fall. I couldn't hold them back anymore.

**A/N: I know! You hate me! Please, stick with me! Give it a chance!** **No flames, please!**


	30. Chapter 29

**A/N: Wow. 78 reviews? Wow. Thanks. I have a secret goal of reaching 1,000 reviews by the end of this story, and since I don't know exactly how many chapters are left, please please please review!**

**I wasn't planning on putting in Edward's side so soon, so you can thank my beta **herinfiniteeyes **for it. This chapter is dedicated to **tk-square as a pear (**tk-you'll see why when you read it, ;} ).**

**Chapter 29**

**BPOV**

A sharp knock on the door behind me jerked me awake. I stretched and moved gingerly. I hadn't realized I'd fallen asleep sitting against the door and I now had to deal with the stiffness and soreness. The knock sounded again, and I stood up to look through the peephole. I was half afraid and half hopeful it was Edward.

It was Rosalie.

"Rosalie? What are you doing here?" I said, opening the door. My voice was raw with sleep and crying.

"I came to visit. I wasn't supposed to be here until the day you left, but I had to come early. What's wrong Bella?" I collapsed back to the floor, but I was all cried out.

Rosalie closed the door behind her and helped me up to the bed. I didn't want to tell her what had happened, because I still hoped that I hadn't really seen Edward pushing Tanya up against the wall with his lips.

She sat on the bed beside me and put her arm around my shoulders.

"Bella? What happened? Did something happen between you and Edward? Emmett said he couldn't get in touch with either one of you last night, but he knew Edward spent all night in his room." She looked at me curiously. She was one of my best friends, and I really needed someone to talk to.

I didn't want to ruin her happiness with Emmett and being onset.

"I'm leaving," I said. "I need a ride to the airport, can you give me one?"

"Bella, tell me what happened? Your plane doesn't leave for three more days."

"I'll have my ticket changed. I made sure it was changeable when I bought it," I said, blushing. At the time I bought the ticket, I wanted the freedom to change it at will. Then I figured that I would tell Edward I wanted to move in with him and I'd figure out the plane situation after that.

I stood up, practically running over to my luggage, and began shoving my clothes in. I tripped on my way to the bathroom, but caught myself before I met the floor. Rosalie grabbed my arm out of nowhere.

"Isabella Swan, stop this and tell me what the hell is the matter with you!"

"I saw Edward kissing Tanya, okay? And it wasn't onset. And it wasn't a practice. It was right there, out in that hallway," I cried, pointing towards the door. Rosalie went white with shock.

"Did you talk to Edward?" I shook my head. "Why don't you? There has to be some kind of reasonable explanation. Maybe Tanya came on to him and you just walked in at the wrong time?"

"Tanya was the one pressed up against the wall, Rose. I can't do this. I don't belong here. I never did belong in Edward's world." I sat back down on the bed, and Rosalie joined me, wrapping me in a hug.

"Oh, Bella. I'm so sorry," she said. I let her comfort me for a few moments, then stood up to finish packing.

"Can you give me a ride? I need to leave the rental car here. I hate to cut into your time with Emmett…," I said.

"No Bella, it's fine. We've been friends longer than I've known Emmett. He'll understand. I'll just go talk to him while you finish packing," she said. She pulled her phone out of her pocket and walked out the door.

Why in the world had he done this to me? Why bring me all the way to Iowa, on _his_ suggestion, just to make out with Tanya in front of me? Suddenly, the sadness I felt was replaced by anger. I had spent our whole relationship going along with what _he _wanted. Why?

Why should I have just floated along on his tide, jumping when he said jump and running when he said run to Iowa? So, Edward was in his room? I looked at the bedside clock. 7am. I didn't know what time they had calls this morning.

Rosalie returned just after I'd finished packing, and I had a plan formed by then.

"Hey, Rose? Did Emmett say what time they had to be onset today?"

"I don't think so, why? Do you want me to make sure Edward isn't around to harass you when we leave?"

"Well, not exactly," I hesitated.

"Don't tell me you're going to forgive him?"

"Heck, no. But he's been jerking me around for months now, and I'm so tired of it. If I leave without telling him to leave me alone, he'll be harassing me by phone. I have to end this now," I said determinedly. I didn't know if I could really stand up to him, but he'd hurt me and I was tired of being hurt.

"Whoa, Bella. Where did this come from?"

"I loved him, Rose. I loved him and he wadded it up and threw it back in my face. He tore up what my life was, and now I can't go back. He's ruined my life." I stopped there, kind of shocked at what I was saying and feeling. It was like someone else had taken over my body and I wasn't even the one talking anymore.

I didn't like this new bitter Bella, but I figured she would delay the hurt I felt. I might also enjoy her telling Edward off. God, this was so not me.

Before I could wimp out, I grabbed the door key and marched over to Edward's room. I pounded on his door, not caring one bit who I woke up.

Edward jerked open the door almost immediately, his dull eyes filled with relief. He looked like he hadn't slept at all in hours, but my heart still clenched at his demi-god body.

"Bella? Oh, Bella, love, I'm--." I held up my hand to stop him.

"I love you, and I was planning on moving to Hollywood, so I'm giving you one chance, one _freaking_ chance to explain to me what in the world I saw. And I'm not just talking about last night, either. I'm talking about the past week and a half." I crossed my arms over my chest and waited.

Edward opened and closed his mouth a few times, now looking like a fish god or something. His eyes had flashed with hope at the beginning of my rant, but held nothing but pain by the end of it.

"She's waiting, Edward," Rosalie growled behind me. I hadn't even realized she'd come with me. But of course she would. She's my friend.

Edward sighed. I could tell he didn't want to do this in front of Rosalie, nor in the hallway in a public hotel. There could be paparazzi around. Oh, no! He pinched the bridge of his nose, sighed again, and finally answered me.

"Look, Bella, I'm sorry. For everything. For messing up your life, for getting you fired, for not telling you every day how I felt about you. I didn't really think I had to. I've never had to before. But, then again, I've never fallen in love with anyone before." His words should have melted me. But he still hadn't answered my biggest question, so my heart stayed ice and stone.

"I guess I've let Tanya go on too long. I knew how she felt about me, but I didn't want it to get too awkward since we worked together. I was always a gentleman, but I always turned her down. She got it in her head that I had feelings for her, but I swear that you're the only girl for me. And you have been since your visit to Hollywood," he said. Rosalie snorted at this. I guess she was thinking the same as me. Not 'since Hollywood', but 'since we made out'.

"Anyway, yesterday I got your text saying you'd be back to the hotel at 5, and the director said we'd get to leave early if we finished the scene. It was the scene where they wanted to use your song. It was pretty romantic, but I just wanted it over and done with. We were able to wrap it and get out of there early." He heaved another big sigh, and I could tell we were getting to the part I most wanted, and most dreaded, to hear.

"I thought that maybe Tanya had moved on to another guy on the cast. She seemed more friendly than seductive. So I didn't think anything of it when she asked me to give her a ride back here. The director even rode with us. The elevator dropped him off on his floor, and we got out on ours. I hadn't taken but a few steps when she blindsided me and kissed me. I tried to push her off, but she grabbed my hair and pulled me with her. She slammed up against the wall, and that's when you walked off the elevator." He turned water filled eyes towards me.

Wimpy Bella wanted to believe him. It was all a case of wrong place/ wrong time. Bitter Bella wanted to punch him. He knew how Tanya felt this whole time and didn't tell her off?

"Bella, believe me. I love you. I-I, I _need_ you. If you let me, I'll spend the rest of my life trying to prove it to you. Just, please, forgive me. Don't let some freaking slut like Tanya come between us," he pleaded. He reached for my hand and I let him take it. I was dangerously close to giving in, to believing what he was saying.

Out of nowhere, Edward's head snapped back, and a fist retracted. Edward let go of my hand to hold onto his nose; he was bent over, curse words flying like paper airplanes.

"Emmett, what in the hell are you doing?" He yelled.

"What do you think I'm doing, Cullen? Rosalie was going to punch you, but I just beat her to it. Wouldn't want her to break a nail or something."

I just stared back and forth among my friends. Wow. Emmett just endangered his job and his friendship for _me_.

"Emmett?"

"Oh, sorry, Bells. I just had to. That boy's been needing some major sense knocked into him for years. You started it, I just finished it," Emmett said, grinning. "Don't worry. I'll be fine. We get into fights all the time."

I was too shocked to say anything else. Rosalie grabbed my arm and brought me back to my room. I didn't know if I believed Edward's story or not. It seemed like he'd finally been honest with me, even about things that hurt me. But I still couldn't sit there and face him every day, face Tanya every day.

We gathered my stuff, and, with one last look around, we went out to the parking lot. Rosalie followed me to the rental place and then we headed to Cedar Rapids.

"What are you going to do when you get back to Forks?" Rosalie asked, her voice subdued.

"I guess I'll stay with Charlie. I don't want to interrupt Alice and Jasper's practice marriage," I laughed. But it was hollow. Alice and Jasper had taken advantage of the half-empty apartment since he shared his house with three other guys.

"When are you going to tell Alice?"

"I don't know. She was so convinced that Edward loved me back. This will kill her, too. I'll wait until the day I'm supposed to be back." The rest of the ride passed in silence. By this time, my anger had subsided and Bitter Bella gave way to Wimpy Bella. Still, though, I was strong enough to hold back the sobs, just not enough to hold back the tears.

There was no problem switching my ticket at the airport, and Rosalie gave me a huge hug before leaving me at the security gate.

The flight back to Forks couldn't have been more different from the flight to Iowa. I was exhausted, yes, but no longer hopeful. I didn't even take out my iPod, and slept most of the way. I left my cell phone off until I got off the plane in Port Angeles.

I had thirteen messages and twenty missed calls. All from Edward. Sometime later I would go through and erase all the messages, but right now, I didn't want to deal with it. I owed him nothing. I didn't have to call him back, and I didn't care if he knew where or how I was or not.

"Hey Dad? Yeah it's me, Bella. Can I come stay with you for a few days? Oh, everything's fine. I just want to spend some time with you. Okay, alright. I just need a vacation, one where no one knows where I am. Oh, Rose knows, but she's back in Iowa. Long story. Anyway, can I come or not? Okay, I'll be there in about an hour or so. Love you, too."

Alice had come through for me and my truck was in the parking lot, right where we'd agreed it should be. God bless her for driving it up early.

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Three days with Charlie turned out to be just what I needed. He didn't pry and he didn't hover, so I had plenty of time to mope over Edward. He was busy with work and trying to impress the head judge so he wouldn't throw out most of his DUI cases.

I tried to distract myself with the homework that I was horribly behind in, but one of the classes was World Lit and we just so happened to be studying poetry. Usually World Lit poetry meant mainly stuff about oppression, religion, and nationalism. I flipped my textbook open to the page listed on the syllabus, and read the first poem.

_Sing and dance together and be joyous, but let each one of you be alone,  
Even as the strings of a lute are alone though they quiver with the same music.  
Give your hearts, but not into each other's keeping.  
For only the hand of Life can contain your hearts.  
And stand together, yet not too near together:  
For the pillars of the temple stand apart,  
And the oak tree and the cypress grow not in each other's shadow.  
-_Kahlil Gabron, _The Prophet_

That just reminded me that I should never have tried to intertwine my life with Edward's. They were just too different.

**A/N: Short chapter, I know. But my beta and I figured you'd been tortured long enough over the "Tanya Trauma". And this is the third chapter in four days, so you shouldn't complain about that, lol.**

**I know I made some readers happy with Bitter Bella. Hope you liked it.**

**I know I keep threatening that there aren't many chapters left, but this time I mean it. I don't plan out the chapters beforehand because I never know where they will go when I start writing them. But my plan is to finish with maybe an epilogue. **


	31. Chapter 30

**A/N: So, I've noticed that a lot of you were confused by what exactly was up with Edward and Tanya's kiss. So I've explained it in the author's note at the end of the chapter. **

**Sorry that this is later than usual. Couldn't quite get it done before Christmas. Hope everyone had a great holiday, if you celebrated any, whatever holiday you may have celebrated. It's also a transition chapter, so it's shorter. **

**Also, I found this really great new story called "Changes" by **orionzbelt. **I know how some of you hate clichéd stories, and so far, this one is not clichéd. It does have cussing in it, just to warn you. So check it out. **

Chapter 30

EPOV

I groaned in pain as Emmett let the ice pack drop onto my face.

"Did you really have to hit me like that?" I asked Emmett.

"Dude, you totally deserved it. I can't believe you didn't tell Bella about Tanya."

"I thought Tanya was over it. I thought she'd moved on to Seth or Paul."

"Obviously not, man." I groaned again. This whole thing was out of hand. And now Bella was gone. _She was going to move to Hollywood_. I'm so stupid.

"You definitely should have told her after the hot tub fiasco," Emmett insisted.

"I was trying to be professional, Emmett. Tanya and I have the rest of this movie plus one more freaking movie to work on. I didn't want there to be any kind of argument between us."

"Bella deserved to know, Edward. If you really loved her, you should have been upfront. I knew she'd find out somehow. The guys on the crew have all noticed how Tanya acts around you. Bella deserved honesty and trust."

"Yeah, well, hind sight is 20/20."

"Bull crap. Edward. Bella was in love with you. You should have trusted her enough to tell her that Tanya was a crazy slut who wouldn't leave you alone, but you had to be polite and professional with her."

"Well, Tanya and I were friends at one point, too, Emmett. I thought it was more friendly flirting…," shut up, Edward. There's no way you can explain this away. You hurt Bella. Really, really hurt her.

"Bella is _special,_ Edward. She's not one of these Hollywood chicks that you can play around with and then just dump."

"I know that."

"Well then act like it. You've got to trust her, man. _Be up front and honest_. She can handle it. And I think she really wants to." Since when was Emmett the voice of reason in this friendship?

"Emmett, if I do that, if I trust her like that, then-."

"You prove you love her. And that it isn't just the end of the movie with the credits rolling after the kiss." He stood up and clapped me on the shoulder. He left another icepack and left me alone.

"I know," I groaned in response, too late. It was more frustration at the fact that this was Emmett, the big dumb oaf that always seemed to be acting like a sex-crazed teenager than an adult. Since when did he grow up? Rosalie had worked wonders on him.

Just like Bella did on me. Edward Cullen was in love. And there was nothing I could do about it. Really. _Nothing_. I couldn't think of one thing I could do to either advance with her or leave her behind. I shuddered at the pain that went through me at the thought of leaving her behind.

Why did it seem like every time I thought things were good, something happened to tear it all down? It was both of our faults, really. We just couldn't seem to get our heads on straight at the same time.

The question now was, did I love Bella enough to try, once again, for a different outcome? To try to get past her stubbornness and my silence?

The perfect lyrics to the melody I'd been playing around with for months suddenly came to my mind and flowed effortlessly onto the napkin I'd grabbed.

Yes, I think I do love Bella that much.

**BPOV**

I trudged up the stairs to my apartment, and hoped that Alice wasn't home. It was Sunday, the day I was supposed to have flown back from Iowa. I couldn't remember what time I should have been home, so I took a chance and just went on anyway.

Alice was sitting in the living room, watching tv; something she rarely did.

"Hey Alice," I said, hoping she wouldn't hear the exhaustion in my voice. I still had no clue how to tell her what had happened. If Rosalie hadn't gone behind my back and told her already.

"Hey Bells. Some guy from a hotel in Seattle has been calling here like mad for you for the past few days. Did you not put your cell phone number on your resume?" Obviously she hadn't heard. Darn it. Now I have to be the one to tell her.

"Uh, well, I've had it turned off." I still couldn't bring myself to deal with any messages I might have.

"Oh, okay. Well, here's his info," she said, handing me a note. When she turned to me, she looked at me for the first time.

"Bella, are you okay? You look like crap." I sighed, let my bags drop where I stood, and plopped down next to her. It was normally easier to talk to Alice than Rosalie, but not about this. Alice had pushed and prodded me so gently about Edward, so sure that he loved me. She just knew that only a little bit of an influence would make him admit it.

Oh, he'd admitted it alright. But only after I'd caught him kissing another girl. And what was up with his explanation? "_I guess I've let Tanya go on too long. I knew how she felt about me, but I didn't want it to get too awkward since we worked together."_ What was up with that? He'd known all along how she felt? And he hadn't done anything about it?

I had a sneaking suspicion about what had happened in the hot tub, too. Edward hadn't explained that one, but I didn't think I wanted to know, anyway.

"Bella?" Alice leaned towards me, concern on her face. She wouldn't force it out of me like Rosalie had, but her gentle offer of friendship brought on my tears quickly. She hadn't even heard anything yet, but she put her arm around me anyway.

I poured out the whole story, finishing with Edward's explanation and my early flight. I'd been going over and over our last conversation for the past three days, and it never ceased to confuse me and hurt me deeply.

I looked up, as Alice's silence stretched to an awkward amount of time, half afraid to see angry fire in her eyes. But all I saw was a flat, guarded, confusion.

"Alice?"

"So…Edward explained to you his side of things... but you still…left? Just like that?" She asked, her head tilted to the side. There was none of the fire I'd expected.

"Um, yeah. Alice, he kissed another girl. And he's known all along how Tanya felt about him, has been dealing with her advances as if they were nothing, and he didn't even tell me," I said, my voice raising in panic. Had I done something wrong? Was I mistaken?

"Okay, calm down, Bella. I'm sure you were perfectly justified in what you did. I…I was just wanting to…make sure I heard what you were saying." I didn't really know if Alice was telling the truth, but I was too exhausted to figure _her_ out, too. My brain had too much to work through as it was.

I just hoped she wasn't mad at _me_.

I unpacked and looked at the phone message. It was from the head manager at The Edgewater, a very luxurious hotel on the waterfront in Seattle. It was three and a half hours from Forks, so I would have to get an apartment there.

I looked up the hotel on the Internet and was very impressed. The pictures were gorgeous. The ocean was always tempting me, and if I worked there, I'd see it all the time. It was a few steps up from the Meadow Hotel and Suites, but then everything is a few steps up from anything in Forks.

It would mean picking up and moving away from everything I knew and loved. A brand new start, alone, without my support system of Alice and Rosalie. But I'd already basically lost that anyway. Rosalie was gone, and Alice would be getting married soon. Even if I were to stay in Forks, she would have new responsibilities and less time for me.

So I called Mr. Luckman and scheduled an interview for the next day. It would have to be over the phone because I was very short on funds, but he had no problem with that. I didn't think he would, since he'd left his home number as well as his office number. I got the impression that he was desperate for a new manager.

I wondered if he happened to be friends with Mr. Morgan.

The more I thought about it, the more I was aware that something wasn't right with me. It didn't bother me that much that I could so easily go after a job so far away. The distance wasn't a big deal at all. And the fact that Edward wouldn't know where I was, that didn't hurt at all, either.

It was easier this way.

I could never go back to who I was before Edward. The old Bella had been obliterated the second she'd sacrificed herself to feel that first kiss.

Edward had made me feel things that I had never felt before in my entire 26 years. Now that he was gone—now that he'd betrayed me—it hurt less to turn off my body. To disconnect myself from my heart and shut down to only a brain.

A brain didn't have to worry about feeling chemistry, feeling feminine and on fire. It only thought. It worked through things logically and systematically. There was no heart to feel, nothing to break.

So, for the next six months of my life, I became just a brain.

**A/N: So this is what happened with the kiss: Edward and Tanya were walking down the hall, and Tanya grabbed him and kissed him forcefully. He immediately pushed her off him, but she grabbed him and pulled him with her. She banged into the wall, and that's what pulled Bella's attention to them. It all happened right together, so he did push her off immediately, but she pulled him with her and she banged into the wall. Sorry for any confusion because of this.**


	32. Chapter 31

**A/N: My beta rocks! Her name is **herinfiniteeyes** and you really need to go read something she wrote, though be warned most of her stories are rated M, with good reason. **

**This chapter is dedicated to **darcy13**. Her reviews are great, and some of the lines in this chapter are direct quotes from her, and others are merely ideas from her. **

**Sorry it's been so long since I updated. My wrists were killing me. I don't have carpal tunnel, but I might as well. It's actually been cold here in the South so that just makes them hurt worse. **

**Disclaimer: All things **_**Twilight**_** belong to Stephenie Meyer. **

Chapter 31

**BPOV**

It was harder than I thought it would be to turn off my heart. And it was voicemails that made it harder. When I finally took a deep breath and checked my voicemails, it took over an hour to get through them all. And that was just with listening a second to each to see who had left the message.

Edward had filled up my voicemail box and my text message inbox. It hurt too much to listen to his pleading apologies. If he were so sorry, then why wasn't he _there,_ in Forks, apologizing to my face?

I had been amazed that Mr. Luckman was so eager to hire me. The Edgewater was a much sought-after place to work, especially if you were going for management. However, it turns out his reasoning was nothing more than spite.

"Miss Swan, I've seen the magazines. I've seen the pictures on TV. Chase Morgan has always thought much better of himself and his hotel than he should. I believe The Edgewater is much better situated to provide celebrities with the peace and quiet they deserve," Mr. Luckman said, sounding more like a tour guide than a hotel manager.

"I spoke with Mr. Morgan about the reasons you left his hotel. I disagree with him. I think that you did a wonderful job of keeping Mr. Cullen's stay a secret, and I do not think it was you who told those teenagers that he was there. I think that we could use your expertise and professional attitude here at The Edgewater."

Alright, so I got fired from one job because of Edward Cullen, and offered another because of Edward Cullen. Just goes to show you that everyone has a different view on life.

I quickly accepted the job, not wanting to dwell too long on the subject of Edward changing my life. That made it hard to remain disconnected.

"Bella, are you sure you want to do this?" Alice asked me once I'd told her my decision. I nodded. "Because once you do this, you're shutting him out completely." She was hesitant as she said this.

"I can't go back, Alice. I need time away from everything," I sighed. Why didn't she understand? I had to do this to try to get Edward out of my heart.

Edward Cullen is an actor, I told myself repeatedly. He was just spouting a nice speech back in Iowa. My traitor tears made me ask again why he hadn't come after me if he'd meant that he loved me. I shouldn't have to be the one always strung along by him. What had he given up? Nothing. I would have given up everything.

I pushed my feelings down, concentrating on the job at hand. I had boxes to find, stuff to pack, a lease to break, and a moving truck to rent. Alice and Jasper helped as they could. Most of my stuff would be moved into storage since I didn't have an apartment in Seattle and would be staying in a room in the hotel until I found one.

Yes, it was hard, becoming just a brain, but I was able to do it. Almost.

_**Six Months Later**_

APOV

"Wait! Jasper, turn the channel back! There! Oh my God. I wonder if Bella has seen this," I said, my eyes completely glued to the TV.

"I doubt it," my fiancé answered. "You know she refuses to be within earshot of a TV or a radio. Especially now." I shushed him and watched the screen.

"That girl," I said towards the end of the interview, rolling my eyes. "You'd think that living in a hotel room for six months she'd take to watching TV even occasionally. But no, she's too afraid she'll see that ugly mug," I said, pointing to the TV where Edward Cullen was just finishing his interview.

He looked awful, haggard almost, with dark circles under his eyes and his clothes slightly wrinkled. Oh, he looked almost put-together, enough for most people to overlook, at least. But I knew fashion, and I had spent weeks with him in his normal state of being. There was no light left in Edward Cullen.

And I knew why.

The letters hadn't stopped arriving completely, but they had become less frequent. That was a relief. Edward didn't know that Bella had moved so the letters arrived at my apartment. I sent back all of the letters. And I didn't tell Bella about any of them.

She was being way too stubborn for her own good. I still don't think she ever fully heard what Edward had said, and I wondered what it would take to convince her he really did love her. The blockhead had made mistakes himself, and had lived through a right hook from Emmett McCarty.

According to Rosalie, Edward was planning something big to get Bella's attention. Since she was returning his letters unopened. I told Rose not to tell Edward she wasn't getting any of them. So far, also according to Rosalie, he hadn't said anything to Tanya, either. She'd backed off, mainly because her one attempt failed. And because Edward avoided her like the plague when they weren't on set.

Emmett said Edward was trying to keep his work environment stable and professional. I could see his point, but I also agreed with Emmett that he should have told Bella. That would have kept down a lot of grief and drama.

Now filming was over. Edward had disappeared off the radar, again, and the media was speculating over it. They wondered if he was with "the Mysterious Brunette" he'd been linked with last year. Other magazines noticed that Tanya Sadocha was also MIA and _they_ speculated that Edward and Tanya were together, wherever they were. "Starlet Finally Nabs Co-Star" was the headlines in those magazines.

That story had been about how Tanya had been chasing Edward throughout the other two movies, and pointed out that she was his only co-star that he hadn't proposed to. That was a lie, of course, since he'd never proposed to any of them. But she _was_ the only one he hadn't slept with off-screen. Another thing he was ashamed of and ready to be honest about.

I didn't know what would happen now. I understood that Bella was hurting. She'd never been able to handle it when people lied to her, which was what Edward had done. In remaining silent, he'd lied to her.

But it was time for her to grow up and realize she had to fight for what she wanted sometimes, instead of just letting it slip through her fingers. Seattle was another easy road for her. She had one more semester until she received her Master's degree, and she was still working as a night manager of a hotel. She wouldn't even consider trying for a job in her discipline until after she'd graduated.

"I feel like I'll have more right to be there then," she always said.

"Jasper, baby, since you're online, can you look and see if this interview is on YouTube or something?" He looked up at me.

"It's just airing today. Do you think it'll be on here already?"

"Yup, just a hunch, but I need to know as soon as it is up, if not today."

"What are you planning, Alice?" He narrowed his eyes at me.

"Just a little epiphany," I said.

**BPOV**

"Ooff," I said, plopping down on the bed. Working at The Edgewater was much more demanding than at the Meadow. This was so not what I wanted for my life.

However, I had the next two days off, and Alice was coming up to stay for the weekend. It had been a while since I'd seen her. Her wedding was taking up all of her time, and the wedding wasn't for another two months. Hopefully we would talk about other things.

Although I didn't really know what to talk to her about anymore. When I chose to cut off my heart, I didn't think it would mean lying. Because that's all it was, really.

Alice arrived earlier than I expected.

"So, nice to see you finally bought a bookshelf. It looks almost like a real bedroom," was the first thing out of her mouth. I really hated when she criticized my living situation, but I didn't want to fight with her.

"Hello, Alice. Nice to see you, too. I'm fine, how are you?" I deadpanned, following her further into the room from the door. She plopped down on the extra bed and gave me a blank stare. I didn't like it when she looked at me like that, like she was evaluating me and I somehow failed.

"Sorry. You know how I hate disorganization, and honey, your books were just a messy pile." She hopped up from the bed and started pacing the small room.

"Alice? Are you okay?" She just kept pacing, mumbling silently, her lips moving rapidly, too rapidly for me to understand. Abruptly she stopped, seemingly having made up her mind. She nodded her head once, to confirm her decision.

"Bella, can I borrow your laptop?"

"Sure," I said, gesturing towards where it lay on the desk. "Is everything okay?" I asked again. She brushed me off with a hand and impatiently logged on the internet. She clacked a few keys and brought up YouTube.

Okay. What's on YouTube that's got her so bothered? She moved to cover my view of the screen and turned to me.

"Bella, there's something I think you need to see. Here, sit down," she said, getting out of the chair. I plopped down, my face full of confusion.

Until I saw the title of the video she wanted me to see.

"Alice, I do _not_ want to watch an interview of Edward," I said, jerking back up out of the chair.

"Isabella, you cannot avoid this forever." My heart clenched, and I felt like I was going to hyperventilate. Darn, I thought I had disconnected my heart. I felt my eyes tearing up, wide with the weight of the pain.

Alice sighed, "Calm down, Bella, honey." She wrapped her tiny arms around me in a hug, her spiky hair tickling my nose. "You can't live the rest of your life stuck at Edward Cullen. You need to do this."

"I'm not stuck at Edward Cullen," I mumbled.

"Yes, you are. Look around you Bella. You live in a hotel room. You are still a hotel manager. How's your degree coming along? Written anything new lately?" I avoided her eyes, but I could feel the slight smirk on her face.

"You didn't listen to him. Now you're stuck because you want to believe him, to give him another chance, but you're scared. Of what, only you know."

God I was tired. I was drained. It wasn't easy working the complicated mixed up schedule Mr. Luckman had me on. Since I was the newest hire, I had to cover all the odd shifts. And now I had to listen to my best friend telling me how messed up my life was. Just because of a guy. A guy I really missed.

"Alice, he's Edward Cullen. _**The**_ Edward Cullen. Gorgeous, hot, Greek demi-god, movie star? You know? Why would he want me? For any reason? I had to be just some small town fling that helped him dodge his manager Jessica for a few weeks."

"Hush, Bella. This isn't about who's in whose league. Stop being so blind and open your eyes; see yourself clearly. This isn't high school, this is adulthood. Okay, so Edward was a jerk to you. He messed up and hurt you. And then he tried to apologize and make it up to you. He had his reasons for lying, as crappy as they were." Was this my friend? Why was she on Edward's side?

"You need to watch this interview. Then decide how you want to proceed. Either you love him enough to believe him and give him another chance, or you can finally get over him and move on. Either way, you can't live your life stuck at one man. Move forward."

I didn't have anything to say. She was right. I didn't resist as she pushed me back into the desk chair. She clicked on the play button and the interview began.

They were interviewing Edward about his recently finished movie that would premier on Monday.

"Alright, Edward. There's been a lot of speculation in the media lately over where you've disappeared to for so long. You haven't been out in public much since the filming wrapped, and we are dying to know what's up," the interviewer said. She leaned slightly towards him, her whole body trying to project that she was totally focused on her subject.

But I couldn't pay attention to her once Edward spoke. And I couldn't resist touching the screen as he spoke. He looked awful.

"Well, I usually take a few weeks to myself after filming, as you know. To just rest up and spend a little time with family and friends." His voice faltered over the word _friends_, and his soft laugh sounded hollow. "This film was more difficult; a lot of personal things went wrong and I needed more time to myself than usual."

The reporter perked up at his words, and leaned in even more.

"Ah, yes, the rumors." I tuned out Edward's expert dodging of the woman's questions. I didn't need to hear more of my own drama. Instead, I studied Edward.

Where was the cocky, self-assured Edward Cullen of six months ago? He'd always been so put-together, even when it was just us six hanging out. He usually exuded confidence and charisma.

Most of the signs would be unnoticed, of course. But my practiced eye could pick out each and every tell that showed he wasn't himself.

His beautiful hair seemed stiff and droopy, as if it had finally given up and had allowed itself to be tamed.

His face was gaunt and haggard, too pale under the harsh studio lights.

His clothes seemed ill-fit and loose, as if he'd lost weight.

This was not my Edward Cullen. What had he done to himself? Was all this because of me? Because I deleted all of his voicemails and texts, still, without even listening to or looking at them?

I was pulled back into the interview by the mention of the movie soundtrack.

"So, tell me about that fantastic song you wrote. It caused the soundtrack to fly off the shelves. Stores couldn't keep up there for a while. Did your inspiration come from the books the movies are based on? From the movies themselves? Or, could it have been one of the many women in your life?" She winked at him, and I wondered if she was attempting to flirt, or if she was referring to the tabloid debate.

"It was written for a very special woman whom I miss very much. It's a wish for a new start. Hope that there is a chance that everything will work out in the end. Because both of us keep messing up; causing pain to each other and ourselves. It's a hope that someday she'll give me a chance to stop being an idiot." My heart constricted in my chest. Was he talking about me? Or Tanya?

"Wow. Maybe she's watching this. Maybe she'll give you a call." Edward's face lit up with hope and determination for two seconds, but then the mask was back up.

"No, I've been told she wants nothing to do with me. Doesn't even risk turning on the TV for fear of seeing my face," he chuckled humorlessly. I didn't hear anymore of the interview. I didn't see any more of it, either. The tears were too thick. He'd been talking about me. I had reduced him to this pitiful shell of what he used to be.

And he still cared about me.

Music started playing from behind me. I recognized the song Edward had written for me.

And then the words started.

_maybe tomorrow marks the end  
of this painful phase we're in  
maybe the sunrise shows the way for us  
maybe the stars that fill your eyes  
are the stars that have been  
leading me my whole life  
just to end up with you_

but when you get too close  
i run and hide  
close your eyes, count backwards  
i don't give up  
without a fight  
here i come, i'll find you  
and love, i'm yours  
if you'll turn me out  
when you need me, i'll be there  
we hide and seek, but always leave  
hand in hand

maybe this chapter marks the start  
of no more broken hearts  
maybe the letters all spell out happiness  
maybe the words aren't always kind,  
but they're never meant  
to make you feel alone,  
just to stand up to you

and i'll carry you  
if you promise to carry me  
we'll carry we  
it's a simple thing  
you and me

you and me

"Bella," Alice whispered. I turned to her, and the tears spilled over. She was holding my old cast. "I think it might be a good time for you to look at what he drew now."

I took it from her and took a deep breath. I remembered begging Edward to let me see what he'd drawn. His response was a consistent "wait for the opportune moment". I guessed that this was as good a time as any.

I pulled at the tape, suddenly not so eager to see what was under there. But a small piece of me—the piece that had never allowed my heart to be cut off—wouldn't let me quit now.

It was a musical staff. But it wasn't just a plain, straight, boring musical staff. It was a work of art. I had discovered another thing Edward was good at.

I first focused on the face. It reminded me of the fairy pictures by Amy Brown. It was only half of the woman's face, with her hair flowing out into the bars of a musical staff. All kinds of birds and butterflies fluttered in and out between the musical notes and in the woman's hair. And the uneven plaster of the cast added to its beauty.

"A-Alice?" She just shrugged her shoulders and closed her mouth.

I jumped up from the chair and jerked open the door. I had an idea of what the song was, but I really needed to find out right then. I had worked the day shift that day, so there should still be people milling about the lobby. Someone somewhere had to have and play a guitar or a keyboard.

"Bella, where are we going?" Alice panted from behind me.

Ah! The ballroom! There was a wedding reception going on tonight, with a full orchestra. There was still an hour before the reception would begin. I prayed that there would be someone there who could play this music for me on some kind of instrument.

I really couldn't tell why I was so intent on hearing the music drawn on my cast. It was silly, really. But I had to know. I had to find some kind of proof, for myself, that what I felt when I was with him was real. That it wasn't just an actor, playing his role perfectly. Or imperfectly, as it were.

I listened at the door to the ballroom, and heard the sounds of the orchestra tuning their instruments. Score!

We had to have shocked them, with our entrance and our odd request, but the piano player didn't even bat an eye. I guess he'd seen a lot in his days on the wedding circuit.

He played the few notes over and over, trying until he could play it smoothly.

I'd known it was my song. But I hadn't been prepared for the slamming reconnection of my heart and brain that had begun while I watched the interview. I'd never be able to disconnect again.

That night, I lay in bed long after Alice was asleep. There was a lot to think about.

Edward had my song in his head even before we were friends. But had I really inspired it? The tune from the cast wasn't as smooth and seamless as the version on the burnt CD. The version on the movie soundtrack was even more polished. I guess he could have made it up as he went along, adding more each day he drew on my cast.

He wanted to try again. To start over; start a new chapter, and try to be more honest with each other, and ourselves. Could I be that honest with myself?

I had tried for so long to keep to myself, to protect my heart so it wouldn't get hurt. I realized that was a product of my parents' divorce. I had watched how their love for each other had been turned into a fierce competition, and almost hatred. I didn't want that to happen to Edward and me.

I couldn't bear to watch his warm eyes turn cold with indifference. I could have confronted him sooner about what I'd seen between him and Tanya. I could have told him that I loved him first, instead of lying and saying I needed to hear it from him.

Stupid Bella. Haven't you read enough to see when the heroine and hero are fools who constantly get in the way of their own happiness? If you can see that in novels, why can't you see it in your own life?

Oh God, it was cheesy. It was clichéd. It was naïve. But I really wanted to be with Edward. More than anything. These past six months had done nothing for me. Alice was right, I was stuck at Edward Cullen. But I wanted to move forward _with_ him, not _past_ him. He wanted to give us another try.

I wanted to try again, too. More than anything. Because I loved him. And I realized he might love me, too. Even if he'd not said it until it was too late, it had been written in every action, every word.

The question now was, how in the world did I get to him?

**A/N: The song is 'Counting Backwards' by The Velvet Teen. It's a good song. The melody isn't quite what I was going for, but if you imagine it a little slower (which is how Edward played it for Bella; it was sped up for the soundtrack), it's the perfect lyrics. Thanks to **herinfiniteeyes** for educating my tastes in music on this one.**


	33. Chapter 32

**A/N: Here it is. The last chapter of Changing Prejudices. There will be an epilogue up soon after this, though. **

**Be sure and tell me what you think!**

**I've enjoyed all of you lovely readers. Thank you so much for liking my story and sticking with it even though it's been a few months since my last update. I will be working on my other stories now, though, so I'm not gone from fanfiction. **

**Thank you very much to my beta **herinfiniteeyes**. **

**Disclaimer: All things **_**Twilight**_ **belong to Stephenie Meyer.**

Chapter 32

BPOV

"What do you mean you can't find him?" I asked, panicking.

"Sorry, Bella, I've tried. There's no answer at all on either of his phones, and he's not at home, either."

"But, but, but, Rose!"

"Why don't you try to call him? Maybe if he sees your number on the caller ID he'll answer."

"No such luck. Straight to voicemail every time I call, too. And his voicemail box is way full. You mean not even Emmett knows where he is? Isn't he Edward's bodyguard, for God's sakes?"

"Yeah, but Edward gave him a few days off. Said he'd be exactly where he should be in time for the premier," Rose said. There was a hint of something in her voice, but I was too upset to try to figure her out.

I huffed in response and said goodbye.

I'd been trying all day to get in touch with Edward. When he didn't answer his house phone or cell phone, and his voicemail box and text box were both full, I'd called Rosalie. She'd actually gone over to his house at one-hour increments and banged on both the back and front doors. It was now midnight, and negative contact so far.

Darn it! Where the crap was he? Why was he MIA? I really wanted to talk to him. Now that I'd made my decision to try again, I wanted to start like, yesterday. And I'd begun to notice an ache somewhere in the vicinity of my heart. Was he avoiding me? Did he somehow know I was trying to call him but decided he didn't want to worry with me anymore?

I didn't have the money to fly to the premier, and besides, I could end up looking like a crazed fan before I got Edward's attention. I was really only half worried that he wouldn't acknowledge me if he saw me, because his interview was still fresh in my mind.

Alice had woken up that morning to find me already frantically pacing, waiting for Rosalie to call me back. She'd smiled her annoying "I know all" smile and practically skipped into the bathroom. I missed that smile. The last time I really remembered her using it was back in Hollywood while we were shopping for my premier dress.

"Bella, honey, calm down," Alice had said after her shower. "You're running your battery down. I'm sure Edward is fine. Maybe his phone is dead and he can't check his messages." I let her words comfort me a little. Surely he didn't know I was looking for him.

She dragged me out of the hotel for some retail therapy. I snorted. Like a new frilly dress was going to heal my heart. I didn't even notice what she finally forced me to buy. Even ten stores later I had no clue what had been put on my credit card, and I was too worried to care. I would whip out my cell phone every few minutes to check for any missed calls or texts, even though my ringer for both was up on high and on vibrate.

Sunday I was forced into a spa day. Sure, it was supposed to be relaxing, but I didn't have any pockets in my robe.

"Isabella Swan, if I hear the words 'cell phone', 'Rosalie', or 'Edward' one more time from you while we're here, I'm going to scream. This is about you and me time. With my wedding coming up and you being so far away, we don't get near enough us time. So shut up, relax, and enjoy being pampered. Oh, and pick a freaking nail polish color already!"

I shut up and grabbed one.

"Good choice," the manicure woman said. Alice approved, too, so I had to check. I actually agreed with Alice this time on a point of fashion. It was a nice silvery blue shade.

"It will go well with your dress, Bells," Alice said.

"Huh? Did I miss something?"

"Don't tell me you don't know what dress you bought? Haven't you been paying any attention at all today?" Alice's voice got squeakier as she went on.

"Um, no, not really. Besides, when am I going to be wearing a dress anytime soon? Your wedding is still two months away, and my nails will definitely be chipped by then."

"But now we can see what it looks like! You can try on the whole ensemble when we get back to the hotel, and then we'll know what color to use later." She flashed her bright whites at me and went back to her magazine. I rolled my eyes and moved to the pedicure station.

True to her word, Alice made me try on the whole outfit. I oohed and ahhed like a good little girl, but my mind was on my phone. Still no messages. Not even updates from Rosalie.

I had to put it out of my mind. Edward was busy, or avoiding me, or something. Alice was my best friend, who I missed dearly, and who was trying to cheer me up. It was hard, and I didn't quite accomplish it, but at least I didn't mention him out loud again.

My boss called at seven that night to ask me to come in at eight in the morning to help out during an expected check out rush. Alice would be gone by then, so I agreed. It wasn't like I really had anything else to do.

Mondays. I hate Mondays. I usually end up working overtime because someone on staff usually ends up having a hangover from the weekend. It was unusual, though, for Mr. Luckman to call me on Sunday night, even knowing we'd be slammed.

I walked Alice downstairs to say goodbye, and I expected it to be a madhouse already. Check out rushes tend to be complicated because of special guests checking in early. Maybe it would start later.

After Alice left, I took my place behind the front desk. Lizzie was working, and we talked about her weekend. Her idea of a boring weekend was one where she didn't get drunk (my every weekend), but we shared a love of classics and got along okay.

The morning wore on, but the rush didn't happen. By ten, I was bored out of my mind. Lizzie always jumped up to help quests before I even registered they were there. It was completely useless for me to be there. I could be in my room working on something, or harassing Rosalie about Edward…

Okay, I was going nuts. Maybe I was hallucinating or something. There was a small crowd in the lobby, one group going out, and one group coming in, and I could have sworn I saw twisted, messy, bronze hair over in the far corner.

I stretched on my tiptoes to see over the crowd, and caught a flash of reddish brown in the corner of my eye. I whipped my head that way, but it's gone while I blinked. I completely ignored every else in the room at that point. Lizzie droned on about her boyfriend's parents and how they didn't like her or something, and I kept seeing bits of bronze hair in the finally thinning crowd.

But that's still all I'd seen. Teases. Hints. Flashes. Could be anything really, but my breathing caught and stopped, my lungs constricted by hope and longing. Lizzie finally stopped chattering, and the crowd really thinned.

I held my breath and closed my eyes, thinking I was imagining him. I had to be, right? There's no way that Edward was standing in my lobby, looking much better than he had in the interview, stopping my heart with his smile. It just wasn't fair. A storm of emotions raced around inside me. I almost longed for the calm numbness that had been my friend for the past six months.

Anger, confusion, joy, love, fear, sadness, love, joy. All those emotions swirled around in my head. Things got really crazy in my head once I'd accepted it really was him. Edward Cullen. Really was in my lobby.

He walked towards the front desk, smiling his crooked smile, his hands in his pockets. He looked relaxed and relieved. His eyes were locked on my face, as if memorizing it. Without any conscious effort on my part, my feet were moving me. I was on the other side of the desk before I was aware I'd moved at all.

I hesitantly walked towards Edward, confusion finally breaking through all the other emotions. It was Monday morning, and he should be in Hollywood, getting ready for tonight's premier. I made myself stop an arm's length away from him. I really wanted to pull him to me, to fill the gnawing hole in my heart.

He was just looking at me. That's it. I knew one of us had to speak, so I whispered the only clear thought in my head. "Edward? Why aren't you at the premier?"

He still didn't speak. His body trembled with tension, as if he were holding something back. I wondered if he was angry, upset, or happy. I wondered why he was here if he wasn't going to talk to me.

Suddenly he moved.

His lips claimed mine, and all my senses were completely filled with Edward. All other thoughts disappeared. There wasn't room for anything else around the sensations his hands and lips ignited in me. If I wasn't sure before that I wanted to try again, there was no doubt in me now. And I was sure he wanted to try again, too.

"Bella," Edward whispered against my lips. It sent a thrill through my body that tightly gathered in my stomach. It was too intense, too good, and I had to break the kiss. I didn't want him to be offended, so I rested my forehead against his, also not wanting to stop touching him.

Both of us were breathing heavy, and I was suddenly aware that we were in the middle of a busy luxury hotel's lobby. I grabbed his hand and pulled him along behind me, looking for the first empty room I could find. It wouldn't be long before he was recognized and the paparazzi swarmed the Edgewater hotel.

"Bella." I heard a voice calling me. I turned around with my hand still wrapped around Edward's wrist and nearly ran into Mr. Luckman. He was smiling almost as widely as Edward.

"You can go on to your room. We don't need you after all." He winked at me and walked away. Huh. So I guess this was planned. I didn't look at Edward, just pulled him along to my room.

I was suddenly very nervous. My hands shook, and I tried to steady them, but Edward could feel it. I let go of his wrist so I could unlock my room and go inside. I faced away from him, and heard the door close behind him. I really wanted to look at him, but what could I say?

There was so much to talk about. So many questions to ask, so many apologies to make. But I didn't want to ruin this. I faced him from the center of the room. He was only a few feet away, but it still felt like miles.

This time I walked to him. He kissed me again, and it was a gentle, searching kiss, full of longing and questions. I guess he didn't want to ruin the moment either. I sat on my bed, and pulled him down next to me. There really wasn't anywhere else we could both sit and be close enough. He held me a few minutes, both of us enjoying just being together. I'd really missed his smell.

Clean, soap, sunshine, Edward.

"Bella," Edward began, breaking the spell. I could tell by his tone of voice that he was resigned to the things we needed to talk about. I could have put it off for a few more years myself.

"Edward, we both know there are things we need to talk about. However, can they be put off for today? Could we enjoy just being together again today and worry about everything else tomorrow?" _Or next year?_ Edward chuckled and kissed my hand.

"Anything for you my Bella. But I was actually going to say that we need to let Alice in now."

"Alice?" Edward nodded, stood up, and walked to the door. He opened it and Alice and Rosalie stood behind it, smirks on their faces. My confusion only got deeper, instead of going away.

Edward kissed me deeply, but not nearly long enough, and left me after whispering in my ear.

"Edward? Where are you going?" I tried to follow him, but Alice and Rose blocked me.

"Alright Bella, where's your dress?" Rosalie asked.

"Huh?" Alice snapped her fingers in my face to get my attention.

"Bella! Honey, come on, we've got stuff we have to do and just a little time to do it."

"What's going on Alice? Rosalie, what are you doing here? Aren't you supposed to be-." I stopped, suddenly suspicious. They both laughed at the expression on my face.

00000000000000000000000000

I had no clue what all the fuss was about. They pulled up my thick hair in an overly complicated twist that felt way too loose to hold out very long. The heels that Alice had forced on me while I was distracted were way too high for me to survive if I fell.

This dress was not as modest as my wrap dress. This one was bright blue, knee length, and strapless. What I now knew to be chiffon gathered together in the middle of my chest, and flowed down the front of the dress. Alice kept slapping me for fidgeting. I would pull up the top, and then pull down the bottom. I hated feeling drafts.

There really wasn't anywhere in Seattle I'd need to be this dressed up for. At least not anywhere we'd be going so early in the day.

"That's okay," Alice said when I commented on my outfit.

"Who said anything about Seattle?" Rosalie murmured, almost too low for me to hear. I whipped my head towards her, but Alice jerked it back to finish my makeup.

There was a knock on the door, making it further impossible for me to ask Rosalie what she'd meant. Why would we be talking about anywhere other than Seattle?

Emmett opened the door to Rosalie's greeting.

"Emmett!? What the hell is everyone doing here? What about the premier? Isn't Edward going to get in trouble if he's not there?" Rosalie grabbed my shoulders and turned me to face her.

"Bella. Bella! Calm down, okay? Everything's fine. Your questions will be answered later. For now, just go with it."

"Yeah, honey. We're not telling you a thing," Alice said as Emmett winked at me.

Emmett held out his arm for me. "Shall we?" Alice put a shawl around my shoulders, Rosalie put a small purse strap on my wrist, and they pushed me towards Emmett.

"We'll see you guys later. Emmett is your escort down to Edward," Alice yelled out my door.

I took my chances with Emmett once the door was closed.

"Emmett?"

"Nope," he said, chuckling.

"What?"

"Bella," Emmett warned.

"Please?" He held his stance all the way to the lobby and out the doors to the waiting limo. He opened the door and bowed, ushering me inside. I awkwardly slid in, holding on to the hem of the dress with all my strength. Wouldn't want to accidentally flash anybody.

My eyes adjusted to the slightly darker interior of the limo, and all of my questions flew out of my head. Edward looked breathtaking as always. He wore a blue dress shirt that perfectly matched the shade of my dress, and a tuxedo jacket was draped across the seat next to him. It was almost like a barrier between us. I realized that in spite of what we'd decided, things weren't completely normal between us.

It dawned on me just how awkward this was going to be until we talked things out, but all I did was smile at him and remind myself to breathe.

We didn't really talk that much, just small talk here and there. The elephant was back in the room, but this time we couldn't just talk around it. I'd thought we could go on for a little while, pretending the past six months didn't happen, but I guess we were both too hurt and too changed.

Our destination turned out to be the airport, so there was actually something to talk about.

"An airport? Where are we going?" I suddenly had my suspicions, but I didn't want to voice them out loud.

"Why do you need to know now?" He smiled my smile at me, moved his jacket, and slid over to put his arm around me. "You look perfect, and there's nothing else that matters right now. Just worry about me and you. So relax. I guess it's kind of awkward right now, but if we both just relax, we can enjoy being together. That is, if you want to."

His hesitation made me smile. He was a very confident man, cocky and almost arrogant. Now, though, he wasn't quite sure. I turned in his arms and cupped his face with my hands.

"Edward, I very much want to be with you. Moreover, I very much want to enjoy it tonight, remember it was my idea. I'm sorry; I just don't know how to act right now." Really, I didn't know how to handle the raging need that I felt to touch him. Constantly. I just wanted to keep my hand on him and make sure he was really there and that he wouldn't disappear on me.

"Just be you. Be Bella, the woman I fell in love with and am still in love with. There's no pressure. It's just you and me right now," he said, and kissed me. I am an adult, and I know perfectly well that relationships are about more than physical attraction. If nothing else, my relationship with Edward Cullen has proven that it takes time and effort to make it work.

But can you blame me for ignoring everything for the few blissful moments when Edward's lips move perfectly in sync with mine? Even better are the rare times we're left alone long enough for it to become something deeper.

I'd almost gladly go through another six months of hell just for the makeup. I didn't recover from this kiss as quickly or as thoroughly as the others he'd given me that day. This kiss wasn't questioning, wasn't full of longing. This kiss wasn't an "I missed you" or "I know we need to talk but let's just kiss" kiss.

No, this was pure heat. Pure chemistry that burned low and sparked up to dangerous levels. However, with his usual grace, Emmett interrupted with the news that we were at the airport. Edward cursed quite loudly, and grabbed his tux jacket. I couldn't tell if he were mad that he'd lost control or that Emmett interrupted.

His face had to be as red as mine, and he had only a loose grip on his usual casual control. I couldn't believe I'd done that to him. I smiled smugly at him as he helped me out of the limo.

"I apologize. I shouldn't have done that," Edward said. I gathered what little breath I had, but it was still only a whisper.

"Not accepted," I whispered. "You should lose control more often." Edward dropped his jaw and I walked into the airport.

Edward had chartered a private plane. I didn't even try to protest since he'd already done it. I couldn't get used to dating someone who was that rich. I didn't want to, really, but if I was going to be with Edward, I'd have to get used to all of it. I knew he'd done it to try to keep me in the dark about where we were going, but I'd already figured it out.

Alice, Jasper, Rosalie, and Emmett were all on the plane, too. I couldn't figure out how they'd all gotten there before us. Alice and Rosalie hadn't even been dressed up when we left the hotel. I was past annoyed now that I wasn't kissing Edward.

Everyone was dressed formally, just like we were for the premier of Edward's last movie. Surely they didn't think I was stupid enough not to realize where we were going? I looked at my watch and calculated that we'd be in LA in plenty of time to make the premier.

I had a lot of time to think. I loved that all six of us were together again. I hadn't seen Rosalie in months, and Alice and Jasper were too wrapped up in each other and their wedding. I couldn't talk about it with them, because I wasn't supposed to know we were heading to LA.

Emmett teased me about my ignorance every few minutes. But it was pretty easy to ignore him as we got closer to LA.

This was more nerve-racking than the last premier. Edward and I knew each other better now, and there'd been a lot of media speculation about both of us since then. There's no way I could walk along behind him, hiding from attention.

What about Tanya? Now that I'd thought about her, my nerves got even worse. The plane landed in LA and I tried to act surprised and happy. I think Edward was the only one who noticed I wasn't, because he gave me a confused look and pulled me close in the limo.

"Are you okay? You've been very quiet since we got on the plane," he asked. Our friends were in a different limo, once again having to arrive and settle in before the stars arrived.

"Just thinking," I said. I smiled and tried to put feeling into it. I was with Edward. That was enough to be ecstatic about for the rest of my life. But I was too nervous.

"I figured out where we were going before we got on the plane. Guess I've just been thinking about the last premier," I finally admitted. I had decided to be honest with Edward, to communicate with him. Telling him I was nervous about Tanya was part of that.

"Ah."

"And I was wondering about Tanya."

"Oh. She's not a problem anymore. She shouldn't have been one at all, and I'm going to go ahead and apologize for that. I can't tell you how horrible I've felt about all that. But, you're my red carpet date this time. I told Jessica there would be no compromise."

I stared up at him. He squeezed me harder and bent to kiss me behind my ear. As he did, he whispered, "I love you." He wanted me next to him on the red carpet. Sure, he'd said he wanted me there last time, but I still ended up behind him, with Tanya at his side.

This time, the stars of the movie walked down the carpet separately. I was firmly in place beside Edward, his arm wrapped around my waist. I glimpsed Tanya getting out of her limo at the curb, and her eyes instantly met mine.

I knew she hated me. I knew it. I had Edward. Edward loved me, as impossible as it had seemed at times. And she'd never been more than a friend to him, more often an annoying fly. I didn't know how Edward had made sure she wasn't a problem anymore, but it didn't look like it was taken care of.

Her brown eyes almost flashed red with hatred when she saw me. The muscles in her jaw clinched so tightly that the skin around her mouth went white. I met her eyes, letting her know she didn't scare me, and turned back to Edward.

I didn't give her another thought that night, except as an actress in the movie. The one scene I didn't want to watch turned out to not be as bad as I'd feared. I didn't even have thoughts of the day it'd been filmed.

We were in the same private box as last time, and the sense of déjà vu just kept getting worse. Of course, this time I was less comfortable because I kept having to readjust my dress. The wrap kept slipping, and I had an idea that Edward was helping it. We even left early as we did last time. However, this time we didn't all go to dinner.

Edward and I went back to his house, and I was stunned. There were candles covering every surface on a path from the garage door to his patio. Out there was a candlelit dinner with music playing. It was cheesy, it was clichéd and corny. But it was his music playing, and it was for me. I didn't care one bit whether it was unique or not.

I was slightly more comfortable being with him now, though I was scared of what might happen. I couldn't quite get over the heat I now felt when his eyes trapped me. I didn't think I was ready for anything beyond where we'd gone so far, not with things still unsaid.

I broke my own rule and brought it up over dessert.

"Edward, all this is great. I love that you did all this for me. But-."

"But it doesn't fix anything. I know. Bella, I just wanted to do this to give one last goodbye to all of this," he said.

"What? Goodbye? To what?"

"This," he said and waved his hand at the night around us. "Hollywood. I'm not doing the fourth movie. Our contracts were only for the first three; they didn't know if it would be logistically possible to do the fourth one. I told them I wasn't doing the next movie."

"But why?" I couldn't believe it. Was Edward giving up his dream because he thought it was something I wanted him to do?

"Bella," He took my hand across the small table. "I can't let this stand between us. We don't really know each other that well, and I messed up and asked you to move in with me before either one of us were ready for it." He shrugged as if it weren't a huge sacrifice, but I thought I saw a tear in his eye.

"I might get back into acting some day, but right now I just want to be with you. Get to know you and let you get to know me. Those six months were hell for me. I thought that acting was it for me. It was my number one priority and I thought that no woman would ever change that. Sure, I was looking for something more than a Hollywood fling, but I didn't really expect to find it." He kissed my hand and then pulled me across the table. Our lips met in the middle, over the caramel fudge pie, and then he let me go.

"And then I met you. You were so different. You weren't obsessed with appearances, didn't fall all over me just because of what I was. You effectively resisted me for a long time. And I blew it, trying to keep you and my job separated—two pieces of the same person. Then you left, and acting didn't seem to be good enough anymore. You left me, and acting just wasn't a priority anymore."

I couldn't help it. It sounded so good. Edward, with me, in Seattle. No interruptions from filming. No screaming fangirls. Just us, spending time together, without even the passive interruptions of our best friends.

"No, Edward," I whispered.

"No?" Pain flashed in his eyes, and it took my breath away.

"No, Edward, I can't let you not do the movie. You love acting. It's a part of who you are. I can't let you give it up for me. I love you, and really want to get to know you better, too, but I do know that giving up this role to someone else would really hurt you."

"Bella, I need to be with you. That's all. You are my dreams now." He had a feverish, determined look in his eyes that dared anyone to defy him.

This didn't solve everything. His plan wouldn't solve everything. But it was a start. He'd already addressed a lot of the issues I had thought of. I could understand, a little, why he'd waited six months to tell me this. Why he hadn't chased after me.

Unfinished business. I had some of my own to deal with. Now he was free and clear of any prior issues; or so he thought. I loved him too much to let him throw everything away just for me.

I was in love with him. All of him. He was a Hollywood movie star, a born actor, who played a part in a film series that really meant something to him. It wouldn't be fair to him to love only part of him and ignore that side of him.

"I just need to be with you, too." Yes, this was the right decision. "But that movie is part of you. I will not let you give that up. I have things that I need to work through myself." He closed his eyes and bowed his head in defeat. Once again his pain was my pain.

I wanted to try to work it out with him. I needed to be with him. _I_ was the only thing holding me back. For what? Because my parents screwed up? I didn't have to follow their example; I was my own person. If I was so afraid of losing Edward that I didn't hold on, that was my fault, right? My hesitation would only hurt him and he'd eventually decide that it hurt too much.

I would drive him away.

Unless I grabbed on and held on. Love wasn't always about struggling and working through things. It was okay to have good times. Times when you _weren't_ scared or unsure. Times when you could guarantee that you were deeply in love with each other. Love was full of both work and joy. I was trying to make it more complicated than it was.

"Is the offer still good?" I whispered to my clenched hands.

"What?" He lifted his head. I cleared my throat and spoke a little louder.

"Is the offer still good? To move in with you? Because once you start filming, I'll need to be somewhere that I can crawl up in bed and miss you without being disturbed." I looked up to see Edward's mouth wide open, a disbelieving look on his face. I took a deep breath.

"I want to move in with you, Edward. I don't know what your favorite cereal is. Or what pajamas are your favorites. I don't know your favorite color, or what toothpaste you prefer when you're home. I don't even know much about your childhood. But I know enough. You are a kind, considerate, generous, loving, intelligent, talented man who claims to be in love with me. I'm in love with you, too."

He was up and around the table about halfway through my speech. He crouched down at my knees and stared up at me while I finished. When I did, his hands caressed my face while he stared at me. Happiness was barely contained in his radiant smile. I knew our emotions were at a dangerous level, and temptation was all over his face.

I'd waited for a long time. According to most these days, 26 years was _too_ long. But I was very glad I had held out. I would have waited twenty more years if I could give myself to Edward first. I knew he loved me and would love me for as long as I didn't find a way to screw it up.

He was shocked when I stood up and pulled him up with me. He didn't protest when I pulled him along to his bedroom. He whispered questions, making sure I was really ready; making sure I wasn't just going along with the emotional high.

I was sure.

And he was worth the wait.

**A/N: Epilogue by Thursday. Hope you liked this happy ending!**

**Also stupid me, I didn't even think about those of you who've already reviewed the Author's Note not being able to review this again. So, if you want to send me a review, try doing it through PM. I'm going to try to work something out. Sorry!!!**


	34. Epilogue

**A/N: Here it is. On Thursday as promised. It's kind of sad. This was my first fanfic on here, and now it's over. Sigh. **

**Thanks very much to my fantastic beta **herinfiniteeyes** who came to my rescue a few chapters ago and ever since then when I was losing my steam. **

**Thanks to my wonderful readers who've been reading since the first chapter. And to my anonymous reviewers who need to get their own accounts, lol. And to everyone who is just now discovering this little story. I LOVE YA!!!!**

**Enjoy!**

**Disclaimer: All things **_**Twilight**_ **belong to Stephenie Meyer. **

Epilogue: One Year Later

EPOV

The light from the slit in the curtains flashed across my eyes, pulling me completely awake. The one bad thing of an apartment on the ground floor. I stretched and tried to roll over, but a body stopped me. Bella had curled up close to my back during the night, and her arm was around my waist. I tried again, more gently this time, shifting towards the edge of the bed so I didn't wake her.

The stab of light was softer now, whatever had reflected in my face long past. The sun now gleamed across the chestnut brown layers of her hair. It covered her face, bringing a frown to mine, so I brushed it away. I couldn't resist touching her, so she twitched as my hand tickled her cheek.

One year later and I still couldn't believe she was here with me. A year in this tiny apartment, getting to know each other, seeing each other with new eyes every morning. This was our last morning in the first space that had been called ours. Everything was packed, either ready to ship, or already in Hollywood.

I loved mornings. Waking up next to my Bella, the most beautiful woman ever, watching her sleep, wondering about her dreams. She talked at night, before she was too deeply under, and I wished sometimes she would talk before waking up. She'd never quite given up on editing her thoughts to me and the flash in her eyes was the only clue I had that she wasn't telling me everything.

I really wanted to know how Bella was feeling about our move. Filming on the movie would finally begin in a few weeks, enough time for us to settle down in Hollywood. Bella said she was ready; had been ready for a year now. However, sometimes I sensed a hesitancy in her.

But then again, I do usually over think things.

It would be easier on Bella if I wasn't asking her to move so far away from home. From her father and Alice. Maybe Alice would finally make up her mind and take me up on my job offer. I needed a good lawyer who understood Hollywood, and Alice was perfect.

Alice knew the ins and outs of entertainment and fashion, rare for a lawyer. Rosalie had helped my case unexpectedly, with the birth of Emmett's son. There was a four month old missing Aunt Alice's unasked-for advice. The only issue was Alice herself; Jasper would be okay with whatever decision she made.

With her two best friends close by, I wouldn't feel so bad about the move. Maybe I wouldn't feel so bad about leaving her alone for weeks at a time, either. Bella shifted even closer to me, and mumbled something and sighed.

No, not even Alice could make me feel okay with leaving Bella for any length of time. I knew it wouldn't be the same as those six months of hell, but it would still hurt both of us.

I was grateful for the script issues that had delayed my movie for so long. I got to spend a beautiful, uninterrupted year with Bella Swan.

It was Bella herself that helped solve the scripting problems. I had the latest copy, trying to decipher what the writers were thinking _this_ time, and she came up behind me. I was also too distracted when she was so close, but she wasn't responding to me kissing her wrists like she usually did.

It hurt, that flash of rejection, until I looked up and saw her staring at the script.

"It's even worse this time. No wonder the book author is so upset. They changed almost everything around. I'm only reading it because the director wants us to," I told her. She nodded and made some small noise of acknowledgement. She reached for the script and I handed it to her.

"Hey Edward, can I borrow this for a while? I think I'd like to read it and see what they're thinking," she asked, still distracted. I smiled and said, "Sure."

She was still working at the hotel, even though she'd already graduated with her Master's degree. I figured she'd just needed a crack at some writing for a change. Boy was it a change. I only saw her in the mornings for the next month; she spent all her spare time cooped up with her laptop and that script. I didn't even see it again.

However, her rewrites perked the crew up. They'd been tired of writing the same stuff, and just needed a fresh eye. Bella was a fresh eye and she knew that book series almost as well as the author. Their long-distance coordination helped get the movie back on track.

It was too late to help Tanya, though. I knew she blamed me, but she'd made her own choices. I didn't make her sleep with a movie producer, nor did I make her try to blackmail him afterwards. I did feel horrible for the baby she would have to deal with in five months, though. Tanya was now blacklisted, and it would be years before she would be hired for another movie, if ever.

Not that she was a great actress or a great person to work with, anyway.

Bella shifted and stretched, capturing all of my attention. I loved the little sounds she made while she stretched. I couldn't wait until she was completely mine. Until there was no chance that any other man could claim her in any way. I was just waiting for the perfect time to ask her.

"Morning," she said, her voice thick with sleep. She rolled away from me to go brush her teeth, something she was obsessive about first thing in the morning.

"Morning sweetheart," I said. I reached out and pulled her back to me; my body wasn't quite ready for her to leave my side. I kissed her protesting lips, morning breath and all. I laughed at the expression on her face and she slipped away from me anyway.

"Edward, it takes two minutes to brush my teeth and then you can kiss me all you want," she teased from the bathroom.

"Bella, I couldn't wait two minutes to kiss you because all my patience was used up waiting for you to wake up," I purred back.

She stepped out of the bathroom so I could see her roll her eyes at me. I rolled on my back and put my arms behind my head. Once Bella was finished, I took my turn.

"I vote we stay in bed for a few more hours," Bella said. She curled up under the covers, waiting for me. Oh, how I wanted to join her. But we had a plane to catch and a few more things to pack. Like the very covers she was holding on to.

"And what would we do in those hours?" I asked, wiggling my eyebrows. "What, last night you didn't get enough of me, you want more already?" As I knew she would, Bella blushed, but didn't look away. She pulled me down next to her and kissed me.

I could actually feel her excitement as she pressed her mouth to mine. I couldn't resist her mood, and didn't really want to. I'd been waiting for her to wake up for a while. Of course we forgot everything for a few more hours.

My watch beeped to let me know it was noon, and I knew we couldn't put things off any longer.

"We have a plane to catch, love. We're almost done. Then we can relax in _our_ house in Hollywood, and enjoy a few extra hours, or days, in bed," I finished with a leer at her.

"Alright," she huffed. "We do need to finish packing. I guess it was too much to ask for you to book a later flight."

"Two o'clock is not early, Bella. This way we have time to rest tonight and really relax before bed. I can't sleep well if I'm too exhausted."

"I know, poor baby," she crooned. She put her arms around me and I put mine around her. She sighed.

"I was just thinking about the past year. This apartment is tiny, but it's ours. Our first place. And now we're going off to a future I don't know anything about." She hid her face in my chest and sighed again. "I'm just a wimp, I guess." I kissed her hair.

"No worries. I'm here, and I'll always be here. All you need to know about the future is that. Everything else will work itself out in time," I said. I smiled and pulled her head up.

"Yes. That's enough for now," she smiled back. She kissed me, and I felt none of her fears in the kiss. Just the promise of the future. While I thought of the ring in my suitcase.


	35. Outtakes

**Outtake 1 Rated M**

**A/N: I am constantly amazed by the wonderful members of the **_**Twilight**_** fandom. This was written for a fundraiser organized by mskathy for those who were devastated by the Haiti earthquake. She offered a o/s to anyone who contributed at least $5 to a Haiti charity of their choice. It just grew from there to over 200 contributing authors. Congratulations on raising so much money for another very worthy cause! And thank you to mskathy and manyafandom for organizing everything. **

**Thanks very much to **TwilightMundi **and **herinfiniteeyes** for betaing for me. **

**This takes place the night before the epilogue. **

**EPOV**

Every single time. Bella surprised me every single time.

This wasn't our first time making love, but, God, it felt like it was. She had a way of helping me forget that there was anyone but us in the world, while reminding me that the world didn't revolve around me.

This was our last night in our first apartment and I was sad to leave it, but excited for the future.

"Edward," Bella said, bringing my attention back to her.

"Sorry, sweetheart," I said. She huffed a little and crossed her arms over her chest.

"If you're not into this, I can just-"

"No!" I yelled, sitting upright on the bed. "No, baby. I'm sorry; I was just thinking about tomorrow."

Bella looked around us at the few things we had left to pack. As always, her face was blank and I had no idea what she was thinking. Was she sad about the move? Happy? I knew better than to ask her about it, so I didn't.

"Please, continue," I said, returning the favor of thought redirection. "You and me, Bella." She grinned at my reminder, and went back to what she'd been doing: showing off her new lingerie.

It was nice to see no hesitation in her now when we were together like this, none of the doubt I'd gotten so used to seeing. A year together had proven that she was mine and I was hers.

"What do you think, Edward?" she asked, smirking a little. What did I think? What did I think? I thought she was wearing too much and not enough at the same time. The transparent purple baby doll lingerie barely hid her curves and completely short circuited my brain.

I sat back against the headboard of our bed and just looked at her. She winked at me and turned around, showing off everything and nothing. My pants were getting tighter and I shifted a little, but not to hide what she did to me every single day. No, I wanted her to know since she'd gone to all this trouble.

She turned to face me again, and noticed the tent in my pants. Her smirk grew larger.

"Have a little problem there love?" Her hips swayed seductively as she walked over to the bed. She sat on the edge of the bed and I raised my eyebrows at her.

"A _little_ problem, Bella?" I asked. She giggled and reached toward me.

She was getting braver, settling into herself as a sexual person, learning what was okay and what definitely killed the mood. I couldn't hide my satisfaction, or my hard cock, at the thought that I was the one lucky enough to teach her these things.

I didn't want anyone else touching Bella, pleasuring Bella, or seeing her face as she orgasmed. I'd do anything to keep those things my secrets for forever.

As much as I enjoyed teaching her, it was difficult sometimes to just let her explore and learn.

My throbbing cock was so ready for her to touch it. It stood straight up, and her perfect hand wrapped around me. My breath hitched at how good it felt; this wasn't something we'd done very often. She stroked up and down and the added friction from my pants had me close to cumming, but that wasn't what I wanted.

Tonight was about her.

I sat up and pulled her down to the bed. I rolled over on top of her, growling, and she giggled. I loved her laugh, but she only giggled when aroused.

"What? Baby, I thought I'd get another lesson tonight," she said. I shifted a little and settled between her legs, noticing her eyes glaze over.

I kissed her, quieting her for a few moments as I explored her mouth. My brain was marginally more functional with her hands safely on my sides and her beautiful body covered, even if my body was covering it.

I wanted to relish her tonight, give her a last, fantastic memory of this apartment. I wanted to show her how much I'd learned about her, how well I knew what pleasured her. I knew _that_ very well.

I moved my lips from hers and ran them over her jaw, leaving a trail of open mouthed kisses. I stopped at her favorite spot, on her neck below her ear, and spent some time marking her as mine. My hard cock also wanted to claim her, and her moans and whimpers weren't helping my self control.

Bella ran her fingers through my hair, lightly scratching my scalp, and I couldn't resist plunging back into her mouth for a moment. I broke the kiss, raised up on my arms, and waited for her to look at me.

"I love you, Isabella Swan," I said, and bent down to kiss the very end of her chin, before continuing down her neck.

"I love you, Edward," she breathed. I smiled against her neck, and she tilted her head back so I had a better reach. I could feel her pulse now, quick and erratic. God, I hoped I'd always affect her like that.

I traced her collarbone over to her shoulder with my tongue and took her skimpy shoulder strap in my teeth. I pulled it down her arm and moved to do the same to the other side.

"Edward," she said, a note of breathless annoyance in her voice. I lifted my head and scooted back a little, making sure I was right over her breast.

"Stop. Teasing. Me," she said through clenched teeth. I smirked at her and glanced down at her chest. I met her eyes again, and when I was sure she was really looking at me, I glanced down again.

Her sharp intake of breath came a second before my mouth closed over her lace covered nipple. I sucked and licked it, making sure it got enough attention before I moved to her other breast. She moaned and ground her pussy against my straining dick, and I couldn't stop myself from biting down a little.

"Oh God." I looked up to see her head thrown back and her face flushed with pleasure.

"Did you like that Bella?" I asked, almost unsure. She nodded her head, apparently unable to speak. She liked biting? My God, she was a never ending discovery.

My teeth grazed her other nipple and I listened for signs of what she wanted next. She was still enjoying it, so I moved to the other one. I spent some time on her breasts, but once again she accused me of teasing her.

I was impatient myself, but was trying to keep control to make sure this was about her.

I peeled the purple lace down her body, enjoying the sight. She was stretched out below me, panting and flushed, and all mine. She was so beautiful with or without clothes, but I preferred her without. I finally pulled the teddy off her hips, along with the matching thong, and revealed the result of one of my favorite lessons so far.

She was bare, wet, and, I once again reminded myself, all mine. I threw the lace over my shoulder and slid down to reach her. I licked up her thigh, so close, but she stopped me again.

I groaned and put my head down on her stomach.

"Bella-"

"I know what you're doing Edward," she said. She put her hands on either side of my face and pulled me up towards her.

"Huh?" I asked, slightly confused. I _hoped_ she knew what I was doing.

"You and me, remember? This isn't just about me; it's about us, together. This," she grabbed my cock, "right here is what I want right now, inside me."

"Fuck," slipped out of my mouth. Her eyes widened, and I just knew I'd messed up. I was a gentleman and gentlemen don't say "fuck" around women. I started to apologize, but she giggled and put a little more pressure on my aching cock.

"Edward, I think there are a few things _I_ need to teach _you_," she said. She smirked and I laughed out loud.

"I can't wait, love." She put her hands in my pajama pants and pushed them down rather forcefully. I swallowed hard and shifted until I had them off. My cock was now pointing hard and straight, and Bella pulled me down to the bed.

She rolled me over and straddled me. Before I could blink, she'd slid down and guided my dick into her pussy. She'd been on top before, and she really seemed to enjoy it, but her smile tonight was radiant.

I'd planned on taking my time with foreplay, making sure she knew I loved her and cared more about her than me. However, she knew exactly what she wanted tonight; I couldn't and wouldn't argue with her.

She started the rhythm and I went along, thrusting my hips to keep up with her. She did this whole wiggle/ squeeze thing when she had me all the way inside her that I'd never had done to me before. It was an amazing sensation and I could tell it was hitting all the right spots with her, too.

I reached down to rub her clit, wanting and not wanting her to cum already. I wanted to make love to her all night, but knew she needed her rest before tomorrow. Even then, I made sure to draw it out a little, bringing her to the edge and then letting her recover a little.

Bella's orgasm could not be held off any longer; I could feel her muscles tightening around me and her breathing get faster. She bit her lip and let go with just a shout of "Edward!" That was the only noise she made once she was overtaken by her orgasm; no whimpers or moans or little noises. Just her breathing and my name.

It was enough, however, and I felt that my release was coming soon. We had only managed to orgasm at the same time once, after an intense fucking, but I was never too far behind her. My balls tightened and my dick twitched, and I let go.

"Fuck, Bella!"

She giggled again and laid on my chest, my softening dick still inside her. I rolled over, pulled out of her, and pulled her close.

"I know we need to clean up, but I don't want to move right now," Bella mumbled against my neck.

"Me, neither, sweetheart." I kissed the top of her head and just held her.

I was sad to see the end of our first year together, but excited to explore our future. She'd given me a glimpse of a few new things for our love life, and I couldn't wait to find out how far we could go.

**A/N: I hope you enjoyed this. I plan on writing more outtakes than just this one, so if you have any requests, even for a rated T scene, let me know and I might just write it for you. **


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